West Malling's Rosie Galligan is among the players awarded a full-time contract for England Roses' 2024/25 campaign.

Galligan, who made her full England debut in 2019, is one of 32 players to have made the cut for next season and the news comes as a boost after she missed England's Six Nations finale wins over Ireland and France this spring with a broken thumb.

The Saracens lock started her career with Aylesford and has also played for Harlequins. Part of the 2022 squad that finished runners-up in the delayed World Cup in New Zealand, Galligan also featured in last year's inaugural WXV1 tournament, which England won.

Head of women’s performance, Charlie Hayter, said: “This Red Roses group is extremely competitive, and the standards continue to go from strength to strength, as evidenced in this year’s Six Nations.

“Everyone involved in the programme is dedicated and committed to the journey that lies ahead, and striving towards a common purpose of growing the game in this country and contest the right to be successful at next year’s home Rugby World Cup.

“Before then, the immediate focus is on best preparing ourselves for our September fixtures against world-class opposition in France and New Zealand, before heading to WXV 1 in Canada.”

Red Roses head coach John Mitchell added: “We trust each other and our style of rugby, and have belief our game is working for us.

“There is still a lot of room for growth in us and we have taken a lot of learning from our last Test match against France to move us forward.

“We are focused and determined to climb again and take our game to another level.”