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.
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