As Mackenzie Carson stepped onto the pitch at Kingston Park, she completed a journey that has spanned over 3,600 miles and 24 years.
The Saracens hooker won her first cap for England in Round 1 of the 2023 TikTok Women’s Six Nations against Scotland, named in Simon Middleton’s starting XV after trading the Maple Leafs for the Red Roses.
The 24-year-old former Canadian international made her debut for Canada back in 2018, growing up in Abbotsford, British Columbia before jetting overseas to join Allianz Premier 15s squad Saracens.
And with her family hailing from Plymouth, the Red Rose is thrilled to finally represent England and become part of one of the best teams in the world.
“With a lot of the girls in the squad playing at Saracens, it’s been quite an easy transition for me and they’ve been really nice,” she said.
“My first cap for Canada was against England but my mum was born in Plymouth so there’s always been that want to play for the country.
“I got the phone call a couple of weeks ago that everything had worked out and I could be called up, so I’m happy it worked out the way it did.
“I’ve played with Marlie Packer for a couple of years now and she’s such a great character.
“She builds you up and so it’s amazing to have her during this transition.
“She’s one of the main reasons it’s been so easy as she supported me and helped me with anything I needed. It’s great to learn off her.”
Carson shone on her first outing as a Red Rose, with six carries in her 52 minutes on the field in Newcastle.
In a game where the England set-piece was the centre of attention, the new loosehead prop helped the pack drive to an impressive total of seven tries before she left the field, with three more to come.
And with the bonus of her first cap occurring at the same time as Sarah Hunter’s final one, Carson was thrilled to share the pitch with a Red Rose legend.
“It was a bit of a whirlwind getting my first cap out there today, but it was a great performance and I’m really happy with it,” she said.
“Our set piece worked really well.
“Having my first cap be Sarah’s last as well is incredible. She’s been such an important piece of this squad for such a long time and she’s been great ever since I came in. That’s been really special.”
One of four England players to recieve their first caps in Newcastle, Carson was joined in the achievement by forwards Liz Crake and Kelsey Clifford as well as scrum-half Ella Wrywas.
And seasoned Red Rose Sarah Bern was impressed with the impact of the new faces.
“I was really impressed. Mack only learnt to be a loosehead from January,” said Bern.
“To come in and earn two scrum penalties is a hell of an achievement.
“We also had Liz and Kelsey who came on and although they have propped in those positions a bit longer, it is still daunting to come on and do that on an international stage.
“Ella was chomping at the bit to get on and brought loads of energy. She’s a real livewire and I think she will be really good to watch in the future.”
