Red Roses turn to crochet to create close-knit bonds

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Georgia Brock, Lilli Ives Campion (centre) and Emma Sing (right) hold hands during England training - Getty Images/Alex Davidson

The intensity of a home World Cup later this year will test England’s team culture in ways few members of the high-flying squad will have experienced. John Mitchell’s side, though, have their own way of crafting togetherness.

In recent seasons, crocheting has become a popular hobby in the players’ downtime during camp, but during this Women’s Six Nations players have become hooked on the activity. From crocheted roses to more extravagant items like food, crochet club is playing an important role in fabricating off-field bonds.

Those such as Abby Dow, who appears as industrious with yarn as she is on the wing, have begun crocheting roses for players earning their first Test cap. For her 50th cap, Dow recently received a crocheted bouquet presented to her by Tatyana Heard, Hannah Botterman and Ella Wyrwas.

Secret crochet mission was a success

Watch the full episode of O2 Inside Line: All In now @O2 | #WearTheRose

— Red Roses (@RedRosesRugby) April 16, 2025

It has not yet emulated the heights of Tom Daley’s Made With Love knitwear range, but by the time the squad are in the throes of their World Cup training camp, who knows – there could be an exhibition of the Red Roses’ crocheted creations.

“Lots of Roses have been crocheting recently,” said lock Abbie Ward. “There’s been a step up, they’re starting to crochet clothes. Stay tuned, because in summer there is going to be a line of Red Roses crochet wear that you might be able to get your hands on.”

This step up has also extended to the pitch. Despite England’s continued monopoly of the Six Nations, the Red Roses are asking more of themselves in a bid to maintain the gap over other nations. Under Mitchell, they have embraced more unstructured rugby, evolving from the bread-and-butter set-piece game that cost them World Cup glory in New Zealand three seasons ago.

“The landscape of the women’s game has changed significantly since then [2022] to what it is now,” said Ward. “Professionalism within the set-up has gone up another notch. We’re training harder, we have more of those really tough moments together, but we also have a lot more downtime.

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England lock Abbie Ward says ‘professionalism within the set-up has gone up another notch’ since 2022 - Getty Images/Alex Davidson

“For me, that’s one of the biggest changes, what we do off the pitch together. We have so many more moments and occasions where we can socialise together, where we can bond off pitch. That’s really helped, not just within the playing squad, but also within the staff. That’s helped bring us together.”

Ahead of the Six Nations I sat down with Zoe Aldcroft, England’s new captain. Over brunch, she made the candid admission that during that fateful 2022 World Cup campaign the team’s culture was found wanting. “Off the field, we weren’t as connected as what we’re trying to be now,” said Aldcroft. “In 2022, we had a strong squad but some things let us down culture-wise. Going into this World Cup, we want to create bonds between one another that are unmatched.”

Words like “culture” might sound nebulous, but in the context of a high-pressure environment they become important, especially for those who might not be a shoo-in for the starting side. It is not uncommon for reserve players in a World Cup squad to feel devalued, that they are there to make up the numbers, but Mitchell is adamant about reframing that narrative ahead of this year’s World Cup. When he picks his 32-player squad later this year, every single person will have a role to play.

The New Zealander expanded on this point in a recent episode on the For the Love of Rugby podcast hosted by Ben Youngs and Dan Cole, when Youngs revealed he was left frustrated by the lack of clarity over his role at the men’s World Cup in 2023. “You want to be a great team-mate and be that guy first and that needs to outweigh my desire to be involved. It’s a battle of your mind and your egos,” said the former England scrum-half.

Mitchell said: “You’ve got to have starters who will play two sorts of roles between starting and [being on the] bench. You’ve got non-playing members who have to take their chance when they get a chance but they’ve also got to make sure they lead the opposition’s plays and when we win, they win as well. All those factors are difficult for non-playing members in a World Cup. We have some strategies around that which will allow them to feel more inclusive and really wanting to be part of it.”

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Red Roses head coach John Mitchell says it is important ‘to have starters who will play two sorts of roles’ in a squad - Getty Images/Alex Davidson

Mitchell is already implementing this approach, being clear with the squad about who would be playing in each of the first two matches of this Six Nations before the tournament. Marlie Packer, who was replaced by Aldcroft as England’s captain at the start of the year, has also twice been a travelling reserve for the Red Roses’ away wins in Wales and Ireland. Simi Pam, the Bristol Bear loosehead who is unlikely to earn a Test cap unless injury strikes in England’s prop department, has also spent time on the road to soak up match-day experiences. Even on the Red Roses social media channels, those like Pam feature heavily.

It might sound unimportant, but in the context of team culture, things like that and crochet go a long way to creating bonds that withstand the white heat of a World Cup final.

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