England's World Cup winning captain Zoe Stratford has announced she is pregnant with her first child.
"We are so incredibly grateful and excited," Stratford said in a post on Instagram announcing her pregnancy. She is due in September and will thereby miss the upcoming Women's Six Nations.
Stratford was appointed England captain at the start of 2025 and led the Red Roses to World Cup triumph on home soil. She was made Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her achievement.
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She is the third England player to announce a pregnancy since the end of the World Cup, along with Lark Atkin-Davies and Abbie Ward.
England begin their Six Nations campaign on April 11 against Ireland, and coach John Mitchell is set to name his squad on Friday.
Centre Meg Jones, who starred for England at the World Cup and was nominated for World Rugby Player of the Year, will replace Stratford as captain this year.
"Firstly, I'm really excited for Zoe and wish her and Strats every happiness on their news," Jones said.
"It's a huge honour to have been named captain of the Red Roses. Mitch and I have built a strong relationship over the past three years and it's a great feeling to have his trust to lead the group along with a tight leadership team.
"I'm buzzing to get back in camp with the girls for the Six Nations. I'll just be the same old Meg and know I'll have great support from Zoe, the leaders and the whole squad."