Zoe Aldcroft hopes Red Roses can replicate Lionesses success with World Cup win

By Ben Hart, Sportsbeat World Player of the Year Zoe Aldcroft reckons the Red Roses can replicate the success of England's Lionesses and cap a stunning year of women’s sport with a memorable World Cup triumph. Ad After the support seen across the country during England's historic Euro 2022 victory, the Scarborough-born second row is confident the nation's women's rugby stars will feel just as much love when they venture to New Zealand to contest the sport's ultimate prize.

RugbyLydia Thompson ready to fight for Red Roses World Cup spotAN HOUR AGO Before their opening fixture against Fiji on October 8, Aldcroft and co will have one last chance to impress on home soil with warm-up fixtures against USA and Wales. Ashton Gate will open its doors to international rugby for the first time when Wales make the short trip along the M4 in September – and Aldcroft, 25, hopes that by spreading the rugby cheer to all corners of the country, Simon Middleton’s side will whet the appetite of Red Roses fans old and new prior to their journey Down Under.

«I think it's really great that they’re in two different spots,» said Aldcroft, speaking ahead of the Bristol clash where discounted tickets are available with O2 Priority — whose partnership with England's national teams sees them pledge to equally fund the men’s and women’s game. «To get the crowd down at Exeter, which has been amazing in the past and then a new place where we've never been before in Bristol, we’re hoping we can expand our support network leading up to New Zealand and hopefully they’ll be excited by those games and then support us.

»I think as a nation, we're very good at getting behind our sports teams and really encouraging our players. The better they