The Senior Team is the pinnacle of the Women's game, which is now the

The Senior Team is the pinnacle of the Women's game, which is now the most popular female sport in England. The FA took over the running of the England Women's Team in 1993, although the first international match was played in 1972 under the leadership of the Women's Football Association.

England's greatest achievement in recent years was reaching the quarter finals of the FIFA Women's World Cup in Sweden in 1995, and the team is now making great progress under Hope Powell, the first full-time National Coach for Women's football.

The two newest additions to the roster of England teams are the Under 19 (formerly under 18) and Under 17 (formerly under 16) Women's squads, both led by Hope Powell, the National Coach for Women's Football.

The Under 18 team was originally established in 1997, when UEFA set up its first European Championship at this level. In 2001 UEFA increased these age groups to Under 19 and Under 17 respectively, bringing the youth competitions in to line with the male game.

The teams are a key testing ground for England's young talent before they make the step up to Senior level. The Football Association has committed to an ambitious development programme, which is aimed at producing an England team capable of winning the World Cup by 2007.

The F.A. Women's National Player Development Centre has been launched, to provide the best possible coaching, technical support for current and potential England internationals, alongside a comprehensive educational programme of further and higher education.