Right time for a new Red Roses captain - Packer

Premiership Women's Rugby: Saracens v Exeter Chiefs

Date: Saturday, 15 February Kick-off: 17:30 GMT Venue: StoneX Stadium, Saracens

Coverage: Match report on the BBC Sport website

Lock Zoe Aldcroft taking over as England captain for 2025 was the "right thing" for the team, says former captain Marlie Packer.

In January, Red Roses head coach John Mitchell replaced Packer after two seasons as captain with Aldcroft before next month's Women's Six Nations.

With a home Rugby World Cup kicking off in August, the 35-year-old Saracens flanker told BBC Sport: "Mitch [John Mitchell] and I have a really good working relationship, deep down I know it is the right thing for the squad.

"I said that to him at the time, I 100% back Zoe. She is an incredible player but also an amazing human as well.

"I am still part of the leadership team. I am still a vice-captain so I still feel valued.

"If I had been completely dropped I would be thinking if my World Cup was over. It is what is right for us, for the squad going into this World Cup."

Packer was named skipper for the 2023 Women's Six Nations following Sarah Hunter's retirement and won all 20 games she captained over nearly two years.

She was named World Player of the Year in 2024 and won two WXV1 titles and two Six Nations Grand Slams as captain.

The decision by Mitchell comes with increasing competition for places in the Red Roses squad, especially in the back row where Packer plays.

"If you look at my playing minutes over the last couple of seasons, I have been subbed off around the 60/70-minute mark and then Zoe [Aldcroft] has taken over as captain," she added.

"I think Zoe has played every game for England since coming back from her knee injury. She was only meant to play 40/50 minutes on her first game back and played 80 minutes.

"You want an 80-minute captain and someone who leads by example. Zoe does that and quite openly says it is not about the way she talks but the actions."

Before Packer heads into Six Nations camp as England's vice-captain, she will captain Saracens in the Premiership Women's Rugby league against Exeter Chiefs on Saturday.

Nine points separate second and fifth in a highly competitive PWR league, Saracens are in third and know victory over fifth-place Exeter would book their spot in the semi-finals.

However, pipping second-place Harlequins to a home semi-final spot is Packer's side's ultimate aim.

"We need to make sure that against Exeter we maximise the score and come away with five points and a good performance," the 108-cap flanker added.

"We are at the back end of the season now which is knockout rugby and we aren't usually when it comes to the league. It is knockout rugby to get into the top four. We want to get a home semi-final against whoever it is."

Gloucester-Hartpury, who sit top of the PWR, are chasing a third PWR title in a row, but have lost three league games this campaign, with Harlequins also losing three times.

"Usually the top two teams would lose one or two games max in the regular season. You would never get it quite all over the place like this league has gone," Packer added.

"It is really exciting for the PWR. It shows the calibre of players playing in all the teams and you have to show up every game.

"The best league in the world is here at the PWR with the competitiveness week in and week out."

Harlequins v Bristol Bears on Friday (19:45 GMT) is the first of four PWR matches that will be shown live on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app in the run-in to the season finale.

Defending champions Gloucester-Hartpury's final regular-season match, when they take on Harlequins, will follow on 21 February.

BBC Sport will then show one of the semi-finals on the weekend of 1/2 March and the final, live from London's StoneX Stadium, on 16 March.

BBC Sport is the home of women's rugby this year with the Women's Six Nations kicking off in March and exclusive coverage of this summer's Women's Rugby World Cup in England, starting on 22 August.