Shekells on England bench for Six Nations opener

Jade Shekells appeared for Great Britain's rugby sevens team at Paris 2024

Women's Six Nations: England v Italy

Venue: LNER Community Stadium, York Date: Sunday, 23 March Kick-off: 15:00 GMT

Coverage: Watch on BBC Two, iPlayer, BBC Sport website & app; listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

GB Sevens player Jade Shekells could make her XV-a-side international debut on Sunday after being named on the bench for England's Women's Six Nations opener against Italy in York.

Gloucester-Hartpury's Shekells, 28, is joined among the replacements by another of the four uncapped players in John Mitchell's 37-woman squad - Exeter Chiefs scrum-half Flo Robinson, 23.

Shekells was part of the GB squad at last year's Olympics in Paris and, if brought on, is set to appear in the centres.

Mia Venner, fresh from helping Gloucester-Hartpury win a third successive Premiership Women's Rugby title last weekend, wins her second cap on the wing and, like Loughborough Lightning lock Lilli Ives Campion, will be making her first international start.

Zoe Aldcroft captains the side and starts in the back row alongside Marlie Packer, who she replaced as skipper in January.

Helena Rowland, who has mainly operated in the centres in her recent appearances for England, will begin at fly-half.

"She's definitely versatile but she wants to play at 10 and she sees herself as a 10," Mitchell said.

"She's been keen as mustard and knocking my door down so she's been given the opportunity.

"When she starts, she'll start at 10 and if she's in the mix for the 23 going forward, then she becomes versatile - but her first port of call will be at 10."

England team to face Italy

England: Sing; Venner, Scarratt, Aitchison, MacDonald; Rowland, L Packer; Clifford, Cokayne, Muir, Galligan, Ives Campion, Aldcroft (capt), M Packer, Feaunati.

Replacements: Campbell, Botterman, Bern, Ward, Kabeya, Robinson, Shekells, Kildunne.

While winning a seventh consecutive Women's Six Nations title is high on England's agenda, the competition will also give opportunities for players to stake their claims for spots in Mitchell's squad at the home Rugby World Cup which starts in August.

That is reflected in his selection for the Italy fixture, with the New Zealander saying he wants to "use the competition for places to England's advantage".

He said: "2025 starts with the end in mind. It's important to realise we'll need two teams to operate this year to play 13 Test matches.

"We wouldn't call it rotation. It's one team operating as two.

"The planning is very much around that and it would be stupid not to plan with that in mind. So we've started with this team against Italy. It has an exciting mix in it."

Asked about Shekells' inclusion, Mitchell said: "I watched her first three games early in the year and thought 'wow, I've been looking for a 12 that can win the gain-line, I'm also seeing a really good defensive player and a person who can distribute'.

"As I've got to know her more, she's even more of a competitor than I realised. We've got to make sure we prepare for whatever happens and that we have somebody else ready."

On fellow newcomer Robinson, Mitchell added: "I really loved the way she played rugby in PWR.

"I thought she was outstanding at the start and then played in an Exeter side that didn't really hit its straps in the latter part of the season, but she was still going 80 minutes, was totally resilient in defence and she likes to run."

Emma Sing scored a try for Gloucester-Hartpury in their PWR final win over Saracens last weekend

Elsewhere in the starting XV, Exeter's Claudia MacDonald, who has recovered from a second serious neck injury in the past 12 months, will start on the wing for her first England appearance since the WXV tournament in 2023.

Emma Sing of Gloucester-Hartpury - the PWR's leading points-scorer in 2024-25 - will start at full-back, with World Rugby's women's player of the year Ellie Kildunne named on the bench.

One player who was unavailable for selection was back row Alex Matthews, who has been given a three-game ban for a dangerous tackle in last weekend's PWR final.

Matthews will also miss the match against Wales on 29 March, but could return to face Ireland on 12 April if she completes World Rugby's coaching intervention programme.

England will start as strong favourites against Italy, who finished fifth in the 2024 tournament, winning one of their five games.

Last year's Six Nations meeting between the sides ended in a 48-0 victory for England in Parma, despite the Red Roses having Sarah Beckett sent off in the first half.