England women's Rugby World Cup squad

We profile the 26 players who've made Gary Street's England Women's Rugby World Cup squad.

The top 12 nations in women's rugby union will compete in France this August and Sky Sports will show the semi-finals and final plus pool stage matches live. England will be hoping to lift the trophy having finished runners-up in the last three Women's Rugby World Cups and recording their only win in 1994. Find out more England squad who will be looking to repeat the success of 20 years ago...

Clare Allen

AGE: 29
CLUB: Richmond
England caps: 27

As if playing at centre for your country isn’t tough enough, Claire Allan mixes her rugby with her day job as a Police Officer in the Metropolitan Police – Acton Proactive Robbery Squad. Claire had a taste of World Cup action on the Sevens circuit playing in both the 2009 World Cup in Dubai and the 2013 World Cup in Moscow but was cruelly stopped from playing in the 2010 XVs World Cup when she ruptured her ACL two weeks before the tournament kicked off. She did, however, show off her skills in front of the camera as she was a lead pundit with Sky Sports. Her career began with Richmond at the age of 14 and before returning there in 2009, she represented Clifton, Wasps, Worcester and Saracens. Claire has represented England at seven levels; Under 18s, Under 19s, Under 20s, Academy, A, Sevens and Seniors and is a big fan of Olympic Gold medallist, Mo Farah. “I love his down-to-earth attitude and work ethic,” she says.

Margaret Alphonsi

AGE: 30
CLUB: Saracens
England caps: 70

Born with a club foot, Margaret, known by many as Maggie the Machine, has turned early adversity into a remarkable career which has seen the Saracens flanker awarded an MBE in the 2012 Queen’s Birthday Honours List for Services to Rugby, something the experienced player described as “incredible”. She has played in two XVs Rugby World Cups and in 2012 shared in a record-breaking seventh successive Six Nations title and a sixth Grand Slam in seven years. Maggie started playing rugby in the centres and then moved to the back row – her first cap for England came at 12 and her second cap for England at 7. Maggie has also picked up a number of high-profile awards. In 2011, she was awarded an honorary doctoral degree from the University of Bedfordshire for her services to rugby, she has been named in the Powerlist for three years running, a highly respected publication which profiles 100 of the most influential people of African and African-Caribbean descent in Britain. There was also the Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year prize in 2010 and the prestigious Pat Marshall award from the Rugby Union Writers’ Club, where she pipped New Zealand captain, Richie McCaw, to the gong to become the first woman to claim the prize in its50-year history.

Rachael Burford

AGE: 27
CLUB: Thurrock
England caps: 51

Rachael comes from a rugby family background. She played in the same Medway RFC team as her mother, Renata (who's Polish), and her sister, Louise. It was the club where Rachael spent the first ten years of her career. And, to ensure that there was a full house of Burfords at Medway, dad Michael also played for them as did her brother, Reuben. Rachael was selected to