Emily Scarratt 'priceless' to England, says former captain Sarah Hunter
The Loughborough Lightning centre is set to be selected for a record fifth World Cup, and is the leading points scorer in women's rugby.
Leicester-born Scarratt spent more than a year away from the game with a serious neck injury that threatened to cut her career short but has since returned to the England set-up and will be a key part of the Red Roses' bid for a first world title since 2014.
"She is just incredible,' Hunter said. 'When you look back on her career and being a superstar, she was the first player that brought a level and quality to the game that we hadn't seen before.
'She was a generational talent and if you think about the length of time she has been able to do that, it is incredible.
'Then you throw in her leadership skills, the presence that she has in the team, you can't underestimate it.
'You look at what has happened post that World Cup in 2022 to now and what she has been through in a potentially career-ending injury.
'It wasn't just to get back playing, it was to have a normal life, the injury she had. I think that takes a lot of strength of character so to get back to the level that she has done is a testament to the person that she is.'
Having played together for over a decade, Hunter now sees Scarratt's brilliance from a different angle, serving as defence coach for England.
Hunter took up the role having been part of the Gallagher High Performance Academy in 2023, a scheme delivered by World Rugby to increase the number of women coaching.
Close to 50 women will have benefitted from the scheme by the end of the World Cup in England which begins on 22 August in Sunderland.
Scarratt, who won the World Cup alongside Hunter in 2014, also coaches at a grassroots level and could potentially follow Hunter into elite-level coaching when she eventually hangs up her boots.
Hunter added: 'She just adds so much to the team environment, her experience, her calmness, her leadership, when she speaks, people listen.
'The ability to make people around her look good, having her in a World Cup squad is priceless.
'It is really special for her if the Red Roses go on to win it in a home World Cup.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
11 minutes ago
- New York Times
Over 16 million watched England win Euros final, BBC and ITV figures say
More than 16million people in the UK watched England's second consecutive European Championship final win on Sunday, just over a million shy of the 2022 final. The BBC announced on Monday that a peak of 12.2m viewers tuned in to the match against world champions Spain — which went to penalties after extra-time ended with the score at 1-1 — while a peak of 4.2m watched on ITV 1, according to the broadcaster's press release. An average of 12m watched the duration of the match across both platforms. Advertisement A peak audience of 17.4million watched the previous 2022 Euros final which was shown on BBC One. This year, the final was also shown on ITV simultaneously, splitting the viewing figures into two portions. ITV had a 25 per cent share of the viewers that watched through television alone for the final but the broadcaster's highest-viewing figures of 2025 came in England's semi-final against Italy, where viewership peaked at 10.2m. The increase in engagement extended across mediums in comparison with the previous Euros. Over 1.1m tuned in via BBC Sounds, live commentary on Radio 5 Live and 5 Sports Extra – a 122 per cent increase from 2022. 10.1 million signed-in accounts accessed content from the tournament across all of the BBC's digital services, an increase of 15 per cent. This included content from iPlayer, Sounds and the BBC Sport website and app. The BBC's social media accounts also amassed 231m total views across the tournament, with over 100m of those coming from their TikTok account. The broadcasters shared the rights to the 2023 World Cup and on Sunday secured a similar deal for the 2027 World Cup, meaning the tournament will stay free-to-air for fans. In Spain, broadcaster La 1 averaged 6m viewers and a 58 per cent audience share, the highest ever for a women's football game on Spanish television. England conceded first to a Mariona Caldentey header, before Alessia Russo equalised in the second half to send the game to penalties. It was the second game in a row that Arsenal's Chloe Kelly scored the winner from the spot and was head coach Sarina Wiegman's third Euros victory, after also winning the tournament with the Netherlands in 2017.
Vogue
37 minutes ago
- Vogue
One British Vogue Editor's Wild 72 Hours in Switzerland for the Women's Euros Final
It's a Saturday afternoon in Basel, Switzerland, and the streets are deathly quiet. Everything looks spotless, polished, the chocolatiers and linen shops and beer-slash-pasta cafes all neatly lined up in a row. There is no indication, on the outside at least—maybe simmering beneath the surface, maybe in the terse expression of a passing fan—that tomorrow is the Women's Euros 2025 final, in which England goes up against Spain, arguably the best team in the world, or at least undoubtedly the bookies' favorite (but they're not England, are they? Crucially, they are not England). Right now, the Lionesses are—according to what professional footballer Jill Scott tells me over crisp Heinekens in a local hotel—probably going for gentle walks, drinking coffee, and maybe having a quick meeting ahead of the game. They won't be preparing at this stage—it's far too late for that. But they'll be more than ready, she has no doubt. She knew they were going to get through the semifinals against Italy, even when it looked bleak. 'I never believed they were going home, it was weird,' she says. 'When there was only one minute left on the clock, I turned to Beth Mead's dad and said, 'You know what, they'll get one chance,' and as I said that, Hemp crossed it and Michelle scores, which was a brilliant finish.' If they win tomorrow, or 'when they win,' as Jill puts it—again she's sure, she has that feeling—it'll be an even bigger achievement than in 2022, she says; the teams have gotten even better, the pressure is even higher. By Sunday, the vibe's picked up in Basel as Brits trickle in—men, women, kids, endless queer couples—in face paint and flags and customized kits. But it's the Spanish fans that seem the most sure. Maybe it's because our hotel is closer to the Spanish fan zone, or maybe it's because they beat us in the 2023 World Cup final, but even the way they wear the Spanish flag tucked into the back pocket of their jeans emanates a certain assurance, as if to say, nice try, but we got this. But then I remember Jill, and how she's told me, and a few others in our group by now, that the Lionesses are going to win. And if anyone knows, it's the former Lioness who was on the squad herself when we last won. And it's this which is rattling around my mind as we head to the stadium, and take our seats by the pitch, Heineken can sawed off into a cup, eyelids fixed open as if stuck with tape.
Yahoo
43 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Welsh international Woodham joins Liverpool
Liverpool have completed the signing of Welsh international defender Lily Woodham on a free transfer. WSL Full-Time were informed of the news via an official club press release from The Reds this afternoon. The 24-year-old joins Liverpool upon her return from representing Wales at UEFA Women's EURO 2025. Woodham has been capped by The Red Dragons on 42 occasions in which she has scored three goals. At club level, Woodham was most-recently on the books of American National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) club Seattle Reign. Her contract was terminated last week, allowing her to return to the English game. Woodham has built plenty of experience playing in the English game from spells with Bristol City, Reading, Charlton Athletic and Crystal Palace. She spent the second half of last season on loan with the latter club. After joining Liverpool, Woodham said 'It's amazing. Obviously I'm a fan of Liverpool, so it's a dream come true really. 'I'm really excited to meet everyone. It already feels like a home from home and everyone has been so nice to me and welcomed me. 'I just want to bring everything I can to the team and always give my all in games and training.' Woodham is Liverpool's fourth signing of the summer transfer window.
