Zoe Aldcroft's rise from Scarborough RUFC to Red Roses captain
Red Roses captain Zoe Aldcroft talks about her rise from Scarborough RUFC to being named captain for the 2025 Guinness Women's Six Nations.
Zoe is a big stage player, and the 2021 World Rugby Player of the Year and three-time Premiership Women’s Rugby champion has mastered her craft on some of the biggest stages the game of rugby union has to offer.
However, for the newly appointed Red Roses captain, the team’s win over Italy in their Six Nations opener marked a return to Yorkshire, where her journey began 20 years ago.
“Everyone who’s from Yorkshire is so proud of it. Whenever you go somewhere, they’re always so proud to say they’re from there. And I mean, why wouldn’t you? It’s got the seaside, cities, beautiful countryside and some of the friendliest people. I loved growing up there and it’s a special place to me.
“My brother and I were super competitive when we were kids, so playing anything together was a challenge. Even playing cricket in the garden would turn into a fight if it didn’t go our way! That was my childhood really, we loved being competitive and trying new things, and I’ve always had that competitive streak in me.”
Zoe was nine years old when she joined Scarborough RUFC as the only girl in her team. Now, like many rugby clubs across the country, Scarborough’s flourishing women’s and girls’ sections provide a home for aspiring players to develop their game, with U13, U15 and U18 age grade teams and a senior women’s side competing in National Challenge 3 North (East).
“People expect me to say it was daunting, being the only girl on a rugby team, but if I’m honest I never really thought of it and just remember everyone being so welcoming. I just cracked on with it and made friends with the boys. When I got a bit older some other girls joined, which was cool, but I never really thought much of it when I was that young.
“My first coach was a man called Keith Marshall, who’s sadly passed away now. Keith was an amazing man and coach, and it was Keith who instilled in me what sportsmanship was.
“He created an environment where we had to work hard and dig deep for each other. That was where I first had the sense of what team camaraderie was – picking each other up and working towards a common goal. He really helped to drive that philosophy.”
Rise to the top
Those early years at Scarborough set nine-year-old Zoe on a path which would eventually lead her to the very top flight of English rugby. Before long, she found herself competing alongside some of the best players in the world.
Aldcroft was crowned World Rugby Women’s 15s Player of the Year after an outstanding run of performances in 2021. She was named England captain for the first time on her 25th birthday and started in every Test as the Red Roses lifted their third successive Six Nations title and extended their run of unbeaten games to 18.
A familiar constant in England squads over the years, Zoe has cemented her name as one of the first on head coach John Mitchell’s team sheet – though not aways wearing the same number.
Proficient in both the second and back row, Zoe’s versatility in different positions is every head coach’s dream.
“Second row is very much ‘get your head down and work hard’, whereas playing in the back row gives you a bit more freedom. There’s more ball handling and you tend to have more energy to run around the pitch. I wouldn’t say I have a preference. I’m just so buzzing and happy to be there every time I get to play!”
Captain's call
Mitchell appointed Zoe as Red Roses captain ahead of this year’s Women’s Six Nations: “It was a phone call - the 2nd of January – and he’d told me a couple days before that he was going to give me a ring. I was making my scrambled eggs in the morning when the phone rang, and he told me ‘You’re going to be captain now.’
“I tried to keep it cool, but this is the biggest news I’ve ever heard! He’s such a laid back person and he was so calm about telling me, so I had to stay calm as well even though my heart was beating at a million miles an hour. I immediately called my husband Luke and my mum to tell them the news.
“I can’t wait to see where this team can go. 2025 is going to be a massive year for us as a team and I’m just honoured to be a part of it.”
