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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.<\/b><\/p>\n
The 35-year-old was sent off in the Red Roses’ 97-7 World Cup warm-up win<\/a> in Leicester for a clumsy clearout that caught the leg of full-back Claudia Pena.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The victory over Spain was Packer’s first game as captain since being replaced in the role by Zoe Aldcroft in January.<\/a><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/a><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Maddie Feaunati, 23, started instead of Packer for the Six Nations Grand Slam decider against France in April,<\/a> while Sadia Kabeya, 23, has also played ahead of her.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n