Zoe Aldcroft

Zoe Rosalind Stratford (née Aldcroft; born 19 November 1996) is an English rugby union player. She represents England women's national rugby union team internationally and made her debut in 2016 against France. She was named in the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup squad for England. In 2021, Stratford was named World Rugby Women's 15s Player of the Year.

International career Stratford's first full England cap came in the final four minutes of the England women's national rugby team's game against France in July 2016: she scored the try that won England victory.

She was offered a full-time contract by the RFU in January 2019.

In April 2021, she was named Player of the Match after England's Six Nations victory over France.

On 10 December 2021, Zoe Stratford was crowned World Rugby Women's 15s Player of the Year 2021, with the following citation 'Named England captain for the first time on her 25th birthday, Zoe Stratford led the Red Roses to an 89–0 victory over the USA and marked the occasion with a try. Stratford started all eight of England's matches in 2021 as the Red Roses extended their unbeaten run to 18 tests and won a third successive Women's Six Nations title.'

She was named in the England squad for the delayed 2021 Rugby World Cup held in New Zealand in October and November 2022.

In January 2025, head coach John Mitchell named her as England captain for the upcoming Six Nations and World Cup tournaments replacing Marlie Packer. She was subsequently named in the Red Roses side for the Women's Rugby World Cup in England.

Club career Previously a student at Hartpury College, Stratford signed for Gloucester-Hartpury from Darlington Mowden Park ahead of the 2017–18 season: she missed her first season due to an ankle injury. In 2018, she returned to Gloucester-Hartpury to captain the side in the Tyrrells Premier 15s.

Early life and education Stratford started playing rugby at Scarborough, when she was nine. Her brother Jonathan also played for Scarborough. She also played netball and studied dance and ballet until she was 15, which she credits with giving her unique skills that she has brought to her rugby game.

She went on to play for Malton girls, West Park Leeds and Hartpury University R.F.C., and represented Yorkshire at U15 level.

She was a member of the England U18 Sevens team that became the inaugural European champions in Sweden. Stratford was educated at St Martin's Church of England School and Scalby School, before studying Sport and Exercise Nutrition at Hartpury College and completing a BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Sciences degree. She plans to study chiropody to prepare her for a post-rugby career.

In 2024, Zoe Aldcroft married a rugby coach and former player Luke Stratford, but kept her surname Aldcroft in her professional rugby career.

Honours Gloucester–Hartpury Premiership Women's Rugby Champion (3) 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25

England Women's Rugby World Cup Champion (1): 2025