The England and Wales Cricket Board has appointed former Australian international Leah Poulton as the new Managing Director of England Women to overhaul domestic pathway structures.
Poulton will assume the position in November 2026, succeeding Clare Connor following her 18-year tenure. The strategic appointment brings Australian high-performance methodology into the English setup as administrators seek to close the gap on their sporting rivals.
International standards continue to rise rapidly, evident at tournaments like the ongoing Women’s Asia Cup, demanding robust age-group pipelines. The ECB hopes Poulton can replicate the talent identification systems she spearheaded across six years as Head of Elite Female Cricket at Cricket New South Wales.
Her developmental expertise mirrors the board’s renewed focus on pathway progression, recently highlighted when selecting the England Lions T20 squad for the men’s game. Poulton previously spent three years driving high-performance programmes for Cricket Australia.
Targeting The Women’s Ashes
The incoming director will collaborate with head coach Charlotte Edwards and captain Nat Sciver-Brunt.
“I know how vital strong pathways and a healthy domestic game are to sustained success, so I’m looking forward to connecting with people across the game and helping give the next generation of English players every opportunity to thrive. It’s a huge privilege to be part of England Women, and I can’t wait to get started,” Poulton told ecb.co.uk.
England reached the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup final in July, suffering a seven-wicket defeat to world champions Australia at Lord’s. Poulton’s immediate mandate centres on bridging that competitive deficit ahead of the 2027 home Women’s Ashes and the subsequent ICC Women’s Champions Trophy.
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