THREE Exeter Chiefs players have been named in John Mitchell’s England Women’s side for their Six Nations Championship opener against Italy on Sunday (3pm).

Claudia MacDonald and Maddie Feaunati will both start the contest at the LNER Community Stadium in York, while Flo Robinson will be looking to win her first cap if she appears from the replacements’ bench.

Robinson is one of four uncapped players named in the match-day squad, joining the likes of Lilli Ives Campion, Mia Venner and Jade Shekells.

Fresh from winning the PWR title with Gloucester-Hartpury, Zoe Aldcroft captains an experienced Red Roses team boasting 822 appearances - 32 of which come from MacDonald, whose last appearance for her country came against New Zealand in the 2023 WXV tournament.

MacDonald was ruled out of last year’s Six Nations after she sustained a second serious neck injury whilst playing for the Chiefs in February 2024.

It would be ten months before the 29-year-old would take to the field again, such was the severity of the injury she had sustained.

“I made a tackle and the next second I was on the floor not able to move my arms or legs so it was pretty scary in the first few moments,” said MacDonald. “In the first couple of months, playing wasn’t even on the radar - it was about trying to get my mind around what had happened.

“I was terrified to be anywhere near a rugby pitch or a rugby ball. I didn’t want to have my back away from the wall as I didn’t want anything behind me because I was scared of being knocked. I barely left my house and I was told not to go in a car so it was all quite scary but thankfully we got past all of that.”

Having sustained another serious neck injury during her playing days with Wasps, MacDonald knew it would be a long road to recovery.

“It was a long journey towards getting back on to the pitch and it all started with a bit of fitness and just running around and being back at the club, remembering how much I love being with the girls and being out on the pitch, challenging myself physically.

“I’ve thrown myself into club rugby and then I’m incredibly fortunate that England still want me to have around.”

Indeed, Mitchell was in constant dialogue with MacDonald throughout her recovery process and now she aims to repay that faith by playing her part for the Red Roses - not just in the Six Nations - but, hopefully, the Rugby World Cup, which takes place in this country later this year.

“I’m really excited to be back in the squad and I’m and looking forward to the whole campaign,” she said. “Right now is about this Six Nations and putting our best foot forward. The beauty of this squad is we really are Red Roses first.

“We are all incredibly competitive individuals and we all want to be first choice, but we have an incredibly good culture and we are building a desire for the whole squad to do really well.”

England side to face Italy: Emma Sing; Mia Venner, Emily Scarrett, Holly Aitchison, Claudia MacDonald; Helena Rowland, Lucy Packer; Kelsey Clifford, Amy Cokayne, Maud Muir; Rosie Galligan, Lilli Ives Campion; Zoe Aldcroft (capt), Marlie Packer, Maddie Feaunati. Replacements: May Campbell, Hannah Botterman, Sarah Bern, Abbie Ward, Sadia Kabeya, Flo Robinson, Jade Shekells, Ellie Kildunne.