Bristol Bears wing Millie David will earn her first international cap for England this Saturday when the Red Roses face Wales in the Women's Six Nations.
The 20-year-old talent has been rewarded for her outstanding performances in the Premier 15s, where she finished as joint top try-scorer last season. Her selection comes as England continues to rebuild their back-three options following the retirement of World Cup winner Abby Dow.
"I paused for a long time because I couldn't really get any words out," David revealed about her reaction to learning she would make her debut. "I just said 'thank you so much' over and over. I wanted to say a lot, but I couldn't get anything out because there were a lot of emotions going through my head."
David, who qualifies for Australia through her father but has never been invited to Wallaroos camps, expressed her clear commitment to the Red Roses pathway. "Growing up it's always going to be in the back of your mind, you don't know what your future is going to look like," she said. "But the Red Roses is something I've been passionate about for a while. When I first started watching rugby when I went to college, it was the Red Roses I was watching, it was Ellie Kildunne I was watching."
England's lineup sees several other changes, with Claudia Moloney-MacDonald on the opposite wing and Ellie Kildunne returning to her usual full-back position after scoring two tries from the wing against Scotland.
The team faces significant challenges in the second row, where injuries and pregnancies have depleted options. Lilli Ives Campion's recent knee injury adds to the absence of Zoe Stratford, Abbie Ward, and Rosie Galligan (all pregnant), plus Morwenna Talling who is out with a leg injury. This has forced coach John Mitchell to pair back-rower Abi Burton with Delaney Burns, who last played for England in 2023.
At fly-half, Holly Aitchison returns to the number 10 jersey, replacing Zoe Harrison, while props MacKenzie Carson and Sarah Bern move from the bench into starting positions.
The match will take place at Ashton Gate in Bristol on Saturday, April 25, with kickoff scheduled for 14:15 BST.