England star relishing ‘second chance’ with WXV the perfect platform to fine-tune World Cup plans

The Red Roses triumphed last year in New Zealand and Canada host the elite level tournament this time around

(Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Mackenzie Carson grew up dreaming of playing for Canada and is now relishing the prospect of returning to the country of her birth to represent England in WXV 1.

The Gloucester loosehead prop was born and raised in British Columbia, and she picked up three caps playing for the Maple Leafs before making the transition to the Red Roses under new eligibility laws.

Having seen her progress disrupted by injury across the pond, the 26-year-old thought her Test career was over before it had really begun but she is now making the most of her second chance.

“When I was growing up my goal was to play for Canada, I was born there and that was something I wanted to do,” Carson said. “When it wasn’t happening for me and I wasn’t being selected, it felt like it was the end but actually it was the start of something.

“Getting a second chance for such an amazing country is pretty special. I still have a pinch myself moment pretty much every day.”

Carson made her Red Roses debut in last year’s Six Nations and experienced her first overseas tour with the squad at the inaugural WXV 1 tournament in New Zealand in the autumn.

To add more fire to an already electric tournament, the new Red Rose faced her former nation for the first time.

“WXV is a tournament that everyone is now looking forward to, being able to play top four countries and in different places in New Zealand was amazing,” she said. “It was great to get more experience against teams like New Zealand and Australia.

“Canada is always a really difficult team to play. When we played them at WXV I thought ‘oh I know all these people, it’s fine’ but when we got out there it was nothing like what I expected it to be. It was so weird to growing up with all of them to then playing against them.

“They’re so passionate and will never give up and that’s something we can take away – their passion for playing for representing Canada and pushing the women’s game forward.”

WXV returns in September and October with Canada, South Africa and Dubai hosting the best of the best in women’s international rugby. With the added excitement of six Women’s Rugby World Cup England 2025 places up for grabs, the action promises to be compelling.

Following its impactful launch in 2023, the tournament remains central to World Rugby’s ambition to accelerate the growth of the women’s game. WXV provides more competitive matches for unions, greater profile, and investment on the road to an expanded 16-team Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2025.

England won WXV1 in 2023 (Getty Images)

It was announced last week that Canada will host this year’s edition of WXV 1, meaning Carson could get the opportunity to play in front of her old home crowd once again, this time for the opposition.

“It’s really exciting for me on a personal note,” the prop said. “It’s an extra pull for me to perform at the Six Nations and get the chance to go back to where I was born. It’s important to take the game around the world, especially for a tournament that is so globally aligned.”

After being beaten in the Rugby World Cup final in 2022, the Red Roses have entered a new era with a new coach, John Mitchell.

Carson is convinced that this new England is building towards something special, especially as another Rugby World Cup is just around the corner in 2025, this time on home soil.

“He (Mitchell) has been amazing so far, he’s brought in so much experience and knowledge,” she said. “I’ve never had a coach that is able to read people so well. The way he sees us growing and the vision he has for the team is really special –we have a new style of attack, and it has really pushed everyone. I was talking to the girls the other day and they were saying how they haven’t learned this much about rugby in a while.

“We’re growing and putting those pieces into place leading up to the World Cup.”