Shaun Edwards has joined the England Red Roses’ coaching staff for the remainder of their autumn campaign, a move partly inspired by his late mother Phyllis Edwards. Marlie Packer, the England back row, revealed that Edwards shared a personal story about his mother’s influence on his decision to work with the world champions.
“He was saying about his mum not ever being able to have the opportunity to play, and that she would have loved to have done so,” Packer said. “It was really cool to hear that she thought we were amazing.”
Phyllis Edwards, who died in March 2021, worked as a hairdresser in Wigan and was a trusted advisor throughout her son’s coaching career. She also cared for Edwards’ father, Jackie, after his rugby league career was cut short by a spinal injury at 24. In the mid-1990s, she encouraged her son to study rugby union alongside rugby league, anticipating the changes the sport would undergo when union turned professional in 1995.
Edwards recalled at the time, “When rugby union went professional in 1995, I was at the top of the league game, captain of Wigan who were world champions, but she always told me to learn about rugby union.” That advice helped Edwards transition successfully into rugby union coaching, where he has won seven Six Nations titles across spells with Wales and France and lifted domestic and European trophies with Wasps.
Packer acknowledged Edwards’ experience, saying, “He’s got more Six Nations than quite a few of the girls, to be fair to him!” She added that his presence reflects the growing status of the women’s game. “To have that calibre of coach to want to come and work with the Red Roses, just showcases where the women’s game is going and what this Red Roses team has done and are doing. It’s amazing for the whole programme.”
Edwards joined England after six and a half years coaching France. His arrival coincides with the Red Roses participating in the WXV Global Series, a new autumn competition designed to increase the number and competitiveness of women’s Test matches worldwide.
England’s 39-match winning run ended last weekend when Canada held them to a 26-26 draw at Sandy Park. Packer, who earned her 118th cap in that match, said, “We’re not happy with the draw, but we didn’t lose a match. It was a really great game of rugby. If you’re a neutral that’s the kind of rugby that you want to come and watch—end-to-end scoring, and such a physical, physical game.”
The Red Roses face New Zealand at Allianz Stadium on Saturday. The Black Ferns, who beat England in the Women’s Rugby World Cup final at Eden Park in November 2022, arrive under head coach Whitney Hansen, who has won all seven Tests since taking charge in December. That includes a 36-14 victory over Canada in April.
Packer noted the team’s focus is on the present rather than past achievements. “That’s history now to us. It’s a massive thing—we can celebrate that World Cup, but actually this squad is very different from that World Cup squad,” she said. “We’ve become Grand Slam champions since then and we’re building to perform really well at WXV.”
The anniversary of the Red Roses’ World Cup final win at Twickenham, witnessed by a crowd of 81,855, comes the day after the match against New Zealand. Packer expects the team to mark the occasion privately, mentioning, “I expect the WhatsApp group might pop off with a couple of random photos or something!”
The Rugby Football Union reported that hosting the World Cup boosted participation in women’s and girls’ rugby. Girls aged six to 12 playing in clubs increased from 18,000 to 26,800 over four years, supported by £14.6 million of government investment. Women playing rugby at targeted universities rose by 38%, and women qualifying as coaches and match officials climbed to 28%, up from 9% before the programme began.
Alex Teasdale, the RFU’s executive director of the women’s game, said, “Today, more women and girls are playing, coaching and officiating rugby than ever before. Across England, we have seen communities come together to break down barriers, challenge perceptions and open the door to a new generation of participants.”
England continue their WXV Global Series campaign with away matches against Canada in Ottawa and Toronto, followed by a Test against the United States. Edwards remains with the Red Roses on a short-term deal for the autumn series.
According to Yahoo Sports.