Flanker Marlie Packer will not miss the start of England’s home Women’s Rugby World Cup after she was given a one-match ban for a red card against Spain on Saturday.
The 35-year-old was sent off in the Red Roses’ 97-7 World Cup warm-up win in Leicester for a clumsy clearout that caught the leg of full-back Claudia Pena.
The ban rules Packer out of England’s final warm-up away to France on Saturday, before their World Cup opener against the United States in Sunderland on 22 August.
The victory over Spain was Packer’s first game as captain since being replaced in the role by Zoe Aldcroft in January.
She captained the Red Roses to back-to-back Six Nations Grand Slams in 2023 and 2024 and is one of head coach John Mitchell’s vice-captains.
Mitchell’s side are on a 26-game winning run and are favourites to become world champions, with their last defeat coming in the Word Cup final against New Zealand in 2022.
Packer, who started England’s World Cup final win in 2014, still faces tough competition to start the World Cup opener in the back row.
Maddie Feaunati, 23, started instead of Packer for the Six Nations Grand Slam decider against France in April, while Sadia Kabeya, 23, has also played ahead of her.
