With over 100 days still to go until Women's Rugby World Cup 2010, England head coach Gary Street has declared his hand by revealing the 26 players he hopes can win the title on home soil and end New Zealand's 12-year grip on the trophy.
Catherine Spencer will lead the squad boasting more than 700 caps at the World Cup, which takes place from 20 August to 5 September with pool matches staged at Surrey Sports Park in Guildford and the semi finals and final at the Twickenham Stoop.
Hooker Amy Garnett is the most experienced player in the squad with 86 caps to her name as she prepares for a fourth appearance on the Women's Rugby World Cup stage with England, who have lost the last two finals to the New Zealand Black Ferns.
By contrast Emily Scarratt is the youngest member of the squad at only 20, although the centre already has two RBS Women's Six Nations titles to her name as well as an impressive record of 16 tries in 18 games for the Red Roses.
Seven other members of the squad - Spencer, Maggie Alphonsi, Charlotte Barras, Rachael Burford, Tamara Taylor, Amy Turner and Danielle Waterman - will be playing in their second Women's Rugby World Cup.
An exciting period
"This squad is the culmination of three years of planning. I believe we have selected an experienced, skilful and adaptable squad who can do the job at the very highest level," explained Street.
"There are also some quality players who have not made the final cut, and who would almost certainly be in other international World Cup squads, so to come up with this squad has been a challenging and difficult task but one that we are confident with.
"The squad has now been announced, and now we really start upping our momentum. The players are coming to the end of their rest periods, so will soon be working hard on their strength and conditioning before our World Cup camps starts.
"This is a really exciting period."
England, who earlier this year claimed a record fifth successive Women's Six Nations title and fourth Grand Slam in this period, will open their World Cup campaign against familiar rivals Ireland at Surrey Sports Park on 20 August.
They will then face Asia's leading side Kazakhstan and then USA, the side who beat them in the 1991 final, in their remaining Pool B matches on 24 and 28 August. Only the pool winner is guaranteed a place in the semi finals at Twickenham Stoop on 1 September.
England Women's squad:
Claire Allan (Richmond), Maggie Alphonsi (Saracens), Charlotte Barras (Saracens), Sarah Beale (Lichfield), Rachael Burford (Richmond), Rochelle Clark (Team Northumbria), Rosemarie Crowley (Lichfield), Rebecca Essex (Richmond), Heather Fisher (Worcester), Amy Garnett (Saracens), Sophie Hemming (Bristol), Sarah Hunter (Lichfield), Emma Layland (Richmond), La Toya Mason (Wasps), Joanna McGilchrist (Wasps), Katy McLean (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks), Katherine Merchant (Worcester), Amber Penrith (Worcester), Fiona Pocock (Richmond), Claire Purdy (Wasps), Alice Richardson (Richmond), Emily Scarratt (Lichfield), Catherine Spencer (Captain - Bristol), Tamara Taylor (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks), Amy Turner (Richmond), Danielle Waterman (Worcester).
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