Fifteen of England’s Women’s Rugby World Cup 2014 winning squad will be in action during the Six Nations as they start the countdown to the defence of their title in Ireland this August.

World Rugby Women’s Player of the Year 2016 Sarah Hunter will once again lead the Red Roses from the front, as she did alongside Katy Mclean so successfully three years ago in France, while record cap holder Rochelle Clark and WRWC 2014 top points scorer Emily Scarratt are also included.

Another WRWC 2014 veteran, second-row Tamara Taylor, is set to reach a century of appearances for her country over the duration of the Championship. 

Balancing that experience with youth, England coach Simon Middleton has also named the likes of Lark Davies, a 21-year-old from Worcester Valkyries, in his 33-strong squad.

Claire Allan, Emily Braund and Abbie Scott are notable absentees through injury, while Emma Croker announced her retirement from international rugby at the end of last year.

With at least two match-ups between the leading European nations guaranteed at Women’s Rugby World Cup 2017, the Six Nations has added significance for the teams involved.

Just over six months before they meet in the pool stages of WRWC 2017, England and Italy and Ireland and France get the chance to lock horns, with both matches falling in round three of the Six Nations.

Naturally England will be hoping to go into the Women’s Rugby World Cup in Ireland as reigning Six Nations champions, a title that alluded them prior to their triumph in France in 2014.

While England have won the Championship eight times since it became the Six Nations back in 2002 – more than any other country – their last title came back in 2012.

With 2016 champions France first up at Twickenham on Saturday 4 February, Middleton is eagerly anticipating the challenge ahead.

"This is a huge year and we now have a squad training full-time," he said. "Our preparation is based around a world-class programme and the Six Nations forms a key milestone ahead of the Women's Rugby World Cup in August.

"There is strength and depth in this squad and, while we will be taking one week at a time and working to build through the tournament, our ambition is to win the Six Nations trophy."

England squad: Zoe Aldcroft, Sarah Bern, Rochelle Clark, Poppy Cleall, Amy Cokayne, Vickii Cornborough, Lark Davies, Vicky Fleetwood, Sarah Hunter (captain), Laura Keates, Heather Kerr, Justine Lucas, Alex Matthews, Harriet Millar-Mills, Izzy Noel-Smith, Marlie Packer, Tamara Taylor, Bianca Blackburn, Rachael Burford, Natasha Hunt, Megan Jones, La Toya Mason, Sarah McKenna, Katy Mclean, Fiona Pocock, Amber Reed, Leanne Riley, Emily Scarratt, Emily Scott, Lydia Thompson, Danielle Waterman, Kay Wilson, Amy Wilson-Hardy.

FRANCE GO FOR TRIED AND TESTED FORMULA

France have won two of the last three Six Nations, clinching the 2016 title with victory over England in the final match of the Championship in Vannes, and will look to continue where they left off with an opening day win at Twickenham.

Les Bleues were beaten 10-5 on their last visit to London in November but the last four Six Nations clashes between the two teams have gone their way.

Last season’s joint top try-scorers, Audrey Forlani and Gaëlle Mignot, who bagged four tries apiece, are both named in new coach Samuel Cherouk’s squad.

Long-time captain Mignot, France’s two-try hero in the title-decider with England, retains the armband, while twin sisters Marine and Romane Menager are also included.

Madoussou Fall is the only new name in a tried and tested squad.

France squad: Audrey Abadie, Arkya Aiït Lahbib, Manon Andre, Julie Annery, Lise Arricastre, Camille Cabalou, Patricia Carricaburu,  Lénaïg Corson, Laura Delas, Annaëlle Deshayes, Coumba Diallo, Julie Duval, Madoussou Fall, Céline Ferer,  Audrey Forlani, Lucille Godiveau, Laetitia Grand, Elodie Guiglion, Shannon Izar, Caroline Ladagnous, Christelle Le Duff, Jade Le Pesq, Marjorie Mayans, Marine Menager, Romane Menager, Gaëlle Mignot (captain), Safi N’diaye, Elodie Poublan, Yanna Rivoalen, Laure Sansus,Caroline Thomas, Jessy Tremouliere.

FIVE NEW FACES FOR IRELAND

Ireland head coach Tom Tierney has named five uncapped players in his squad for the Six Nations.

Props Ilse van Staden and Ciara O'Connor will be hoping to win their first Ireland caps during the course of the Championship, as will scrum-half Ailsa Hughes, fly-half Jemma Jackson and winger Eimear Considine, who has played for Ireland in sevens.

Ireland head into the Six Nations with their first full-blown November series behind them. They lost narrowly to England (12-10) before suffering heavy defeats to Canada (48-7) and New Zealand (38-8).

“While we had some tough games in November, the experience the players gained in those matches will stand to them as we head into the Six Nations Championship,” said Tierney.

“There is a good blend of youth and experience in the squad, and having had weekly camps since Christmas, we've been working hard getting our structures in place and making sure everyone knows their job.”

Niamh Briggs will again captain the side.

Ireland squad: Elaine Anthony, Anna Caplice, Ciara Cooney, Ailis Egan, Paula Fitzpatrick, Orla Fitzsimons, Nichola Fryday, Ciara Griffin, Leah Lyons, Claire Molloy, Cliodhna Moloney, Heather O'Brien, Ciara O'Connor, Ruth O'Reilly, Lindsay Peat, Marie-Louise Reilly, Ilse van Staden, Niamh Briggs (captain), Eimear Considine, Mairead Coyne, Aine Donnelly, Mary Healy, Ailsa Hughes, Jemma Jackson, Niamh Kavanagh, Claire McLaughlin, Alison Miller, Jenny Murphy, Sene Naoupu, Nora Stapleton.

WALES LOOK TO MAINTAIN WINNING RUN

Rowland Phillips has named his squad for the Six Nations as he looks to maintain his 100 per cent record as coach of the Wales team.

Wales are four from four under Phillips, who took over in 2016, and saw off Ireland at Donnybrook in their final preparation game last weekend.

Included in the squad are players recently identified in Wales' regional programme, such as forwards Morfudd Ifans, Brea Leung and Gwenllian Pyrs, while players returning to the set-up after a short break include centre Rebecca de Filippo and front row Lowri Harries.

Since November, Wales have recorded wins against Scotland, the UK Armed Forces, Spain and Ireland.

Their first assignment in this year’s Six Nations is Italy away, a fixture they lost in Padua in 2015.

Wales squad: Alisha Butchers, Mel Clay, Nia Elen Davies, Amy Evans, Cerys Hale, Lowri Harries, Sioned Harries, Morfudd Ifans, Brea Leung, Siwan Lillicrap, Shona Powell-Hughes, Carys Phillips (capt.), Gwenllian Pyrs, Rebecca Rowe, Rachel Taylor, Caryl Thomas, Meg York, Keira Bevan, Elen Evans, Jodie Evans, Rebecca de Filippo, Dyddgu Hywel, Jasmine Joyce, Jessica Kavanagh-Williams, Kerin Lake, Sian Moore, Charlie Murray, Rhiannon Parker, Gemma Rowland, Elinor Snowsill, Adi Taviner, Robyn Wilkins.

FOUR NEW CAPS FOR AZZURRE

Italy hope to make their 10th anniversary season of Six Nations rugby one to remember.

The Azzurre produced their best-ever finish of third in 2015 and have won at least two games in a single season in each of the last four years.

Alongside four new caps – second-rows Valeria Fedrighi and Sara Tounesi and backs Carlotta Guerreschi and Miriam Pagani – Italy can call on a wealth of experience.

Michela Este will become the fifth player in the squad with a half-century of appearances to her name if selected for the opening match against Wales.

Sara Barattin captains the squad from scrum-half.

Italy squad: Elisa Cucchiella, Marta Ferrrari, Lucia Gai, Gaia Giacomoli, Melissa Bettoni, Valeria Fedrighi, Alessia Pantarotto, Elisa Pillotti, Valentina Ruzza Sara Tounesi, Alice Trevisan, Ilaria Arrighetti, Michela Este, Elisa Giordano, Isabella Locatelli, Flavia Severin, Sara Barattin (captain), Claudia Salvadego, Sofia Stefan, Beatrice Rigoni, Anna Barbanti, Elisa Bonaldo, Maria Grazia Cioffi, Manuela Furlan, Carlotta Guerreschi, Veronica Madia, Maria Magatti, Miriam Pagani, Michela Sillari, Paola Zangirolami.

SCOTS AIM FOR CONTINUED IMPROVEMENT

Lisa Martin will lead Scotland in the Women's Six Nations after being named in a 32-player squad by coach Shade Munro.

The Murrayfield Wanderers fly-half or centre took on the Scottish captaincy for the first time in last year's Six Nations, and will continue in the role in 2017.

Scotland will begin their campaign at home to Ireland at Cumbernauld on 3 February as part of a double header with the Under-20s, and prior to that will have a training camp down in London to prepare for the tournament.

For Munro, that preparation time will give Scotland the best possible chance of building on two narrow losses to Spain in a Women's Rugby World Cup 2017  qualifier back in November.

"The Women's Six Nations is a great platform to develop the squad and benchmark progress as we work towards closing the gap with world-class nations," said Munro, who will be boosted by the return from injury of number eight Jade Konkel, Scotland's first full-time player.

Scotland squad: Tracy Balmer, Sarah Bonar, Rachel Cook, Katie Dougan, Karen Dunbar, Jemma Forsyth, Jade Konkel, Heather Lockhart, Rachel Malcolm, Deborah McCormack, Louise McMillan, Siobhan McMillan, Lyndsay O'Donnell, Lucy Park, Lisa Robertson, Lana Skeldon, Lindsey Smith, Anna Stodter, Emma Wassell, Caroline Collie, Abi Evans, Megan Gaffney, Lauren Harris, Gillian Inglis, Sarah Law, Rhona Lloyd, Lisa Martin (captain), Jenny Maxwell, Helen Nelson, Chloe Rollie, Eilidh Sinclair, Lisa Thomson.