Arena Sport to publish 'definitive book' on England’s Red Roses

Arena Sport, an imprint of Birlinn, has acquired The Red Roses by Jessica Hayden, which delves into the story of England’s first fully-professional women’s rugby team.

World rights including audio were acquired by Jamie Harris from Melanie Michael-Greer at The Michael Greer Literary Agency. The Red Roses will publish in spring 2024.

In January 2019, England’s Red Roses became the first fully-professional women’s rugby team in the world with one mission: win back the Rugby World Cup. After a run of near-misses, the team will host the Rugby World Cup in 2025. In her upcoming book, Hayden asks if they can finally win back the trophy.

Hayden is the digital sports sub-editor and rugby journalist at the Times and the Sunday Times and also works as a freelance rugby presenter and hosts the women’s rugby section on the Times’ rugby podcast, The Ruck. As a trusted voice on rugby union, she has sat on the Six Nations panel that decides the player of the championship shortlist for both the men’s and women’s tournaments since 2020.

Hayden said: “The Red Roses gives readers exclusive insight into the elite set-up at England, with unparalleled access to the players, coaches and support staff. I hope that this book can be enjoyed by everyone who appreciates high-performance sport, regardless of their prior interest in women’s rugby.

“We are at a pivotal moment for women’s sport in England, with records being broken all the time. The 2025 Rugby World Cup, hosted by England, is the perfect chance for the Red Roses to emulate the success of the Lionesses.”