THE FUSE

Former England captain Jo Yapp has been appointed as England Rugby's Head of Women's Pathway – a newly created role developing the next generation of Red Roses.

Yapp, who won 70 caps during her playing days and played at three Rugby World Cups, coached Australia to the last eight of last year's most recent edition of the tournament.

In addition to working with England's age-grade side and top-tier Premiership Women's Rugby, she will be part of England's set-up at the Women's Six Nations, which begins in April.

Her role will include mentoring Emily Scarratt, who has a role as backs and attack coach after announcing her retirement from playing in October. Yapp had a similar remit during England's 2015 Six Nations campaign.

Since returning to England from Australia, Yapp has been coaching the local girls teams at Clee Hill RFC in the Shropshire village where she grew up.

"I'm incredibly passionate about the women's pathway," she said.

"The pathway is in a really strong place, thanks to the commitment and passion behind so much outstanding work. It's special to be coming back into this space and to work alongside people who care deeply about making a real difference.

"I want to use the knowledge and experience I've gained from different environments to keep driving the pathway forward and support its continued growth."

Yapp previously coached England's under-20 side and led Worcester Warriors women's side until the club folded in 2023.

Yapp had stated earlier in 2025 that she would step down from her Wallaroos post at the end of their campaign, marking nearly two years in the role.

Following Yapp's departure, Rugby Australia's head of women's high performance Jaime Fernandez resigned amid reports that Rugby Australia were planning to cut the programme's budget.

Rugby Australia have denied such plans and insist the Wallaroos will be "fully resourced" in 2026 in the run-up to a home women's Rugby World Cup in 2029.