Marlie Packer to miss England tour as Kelsey Clifford returns

Marlie Packer will miss England's rugby union tour of North America this month, with the Harlequins back-rower staying in the United Kingdom as her partner and England team-mate Rosie Galligan prepares to give birth. BBC Sport reported the absence on 6 October as the Red Roses confirmed their squad for matches against Canada and the United States.

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Packer, a two-time World Cup winner, has 119 England caps and is the country's most-capped active player. Her absence comes alongside three injury withdrawals: Delaney Burns, Haidee Head and Sophie McQueen will also not travel. England have not named Packer among those ruled out through injury; her reason for remaining at home is a family commitment.

There is a return for Saracens prop Kelsey Clifford, who is back after a hamstring injury, according to the BBC. Megan Jones is named captain of the touring squad, with Amy Cokayne and Alex Matthews serving as vice-captains. The selected group contains 18 forwards and 14 backs for the three-match trip.

Sky Sports reported that England will meet Canada in Toronto and Ottawa before playing the United States in New Jersey. Those fixtures follow three September internationals in which England defeated Australia and New Zealand but drew 26-26 with Canada in Exeter. That result ended a sequence of 39 consecutive victories for the Red Roses.

Head coach John Mitchell said the recent Canada and New Zealand matches had both been closely contested, and linked those experiences to England's development towards the 2029 World Cup. In comments carried by Sky Sports, he stressed the importance of facing strong opponents and improving the team's ability to respond when placed under pressure.

Mitchell also identified the tour as a chance for the 32 travelling players to build stronger relationships, saying an away trip demands cohesion. He said the group had shown an appetite to compete and improve as preparations continued. The two Canada fixtures will give England further meetings with the side that brought their winning streak to an end.