Latest news with #GallagherHighPerformanceAcademy
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Sarah Hunter on why she cut short maternity leave to coach England to home World Cup glory
The former Red Roses captain gave birth to daughter Olivia in October last year and returned to her role as defence coach just six-and-a-half months later Sarah Hunter had no doubts about cutting her maternity leave short to be back in time to coach England at a home Women's Rugby World Cup. The former Red Roses captain gave birth to daughter Olivia in October last year and returned to her role as defence coach just six-and-a-half months later. Hunter, who retired from playing in 2023, aims to be a role model for others wanting to combine coaching with having a child. 'Becoming a mother has been the best thing ever, I feel really lucky to have Olivia,' the 39-year-old said. 'It was a decision between myself and my partner Nathan, who also works in rugby, that actually I do want to come back to work. 'I do want to show that you can be a female coach in a high-performance environment and still be a mum. 'I was very adamant that I wanted to juggle the balance of that. Then you throw a home World Cup into it all, and I just didn't want to pass up the opportunity to have that opportunity to do it. 'I feel very lucky and privileged that I am part of the Red Roses and have been given the opportunity to do it through the Red Roses, the RFU and the Gallagher High Performance Academy (GHPA) to try and be the best coach I can be.' Hunter joined the Red Roses coaching staff only a few months after retiring, as part of the first cohort of female coaches on the Gallagher High Performance Academy. The North Shields native was given support through mentoring and workshops, as well as being embedded with the England team for the first WXV tournament, which the Red Roses won. Sixteen more female coaches will be part of the GHPA at the Rugby World Cup, with World Rugby aiming to have women making up at least 40 per cent of coaching staff at the tournament. Hunter is joined by Lou Meadows and Kate Tyler as mothers as part of the England backroom staff and has cited football coach Emma Hayes and Keely Hodgkinson's coach Jenny Meadows as inspirations. She said: 'Hopefully in time, Olivia will look back and see and be proud of what her mum has done. 'The opportunity to coach your national side who are one of the best teams in the world at a home World Cup may never come around again. 'When you are away from her, the times are hard, I just have to keep reminding myself of the reasons why and the importance of being in camp and the importance of doing my very best so there is something for her to be proud of when you return home. 'I want to take that role on and it is a bit of a responsibility to showcase that you can do both.' Hunter and England head into the home World Cup, which begins on 22 August at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland, having not lost since defeat in the final of the previous World Cup in New Zealand. Ticket sales are continuing to break records and the chance to be a part of it was too good for Hunter to turn down. 'The hopes around what this tournament could be back when the announcement happened to what it is now, all those plans that are coming to fruition,' she said. "The expectation of what we thought it could be to how it is now and hopefully by the end of September that is going to be blown out of the water.'
South Wales Argus
5 days ago
- Sport
- South Wales Argus
Sarah Hunter excited about combining parenting with coaching
Hunter, who retired from playing in 2023, aims to be a role model for others wanting to combine coaching with having a child. 'Becoming a mother has been the best thing ever, I feel really lucky to have Olivia,' the 39-year-old said. 'It was a decision between myself and my partner Nathan, who also works in rugby, that actually I do want to come back to work. 'I do want to show that you can be a female coach in a high-performance environment and still be a mum. 'I was very adamant that I wanted to juggle the balance of that. Then you throw a home World Cup into it all, and I just didn't want to pass up the opportunity to have that opportunity to do it. 'I feel very lucky and privileged that I am part of the Red Roses and have been given the opportunity to do it through the Red Roses, the RFU and the Gallagher High Performance Academy (GHPA) to try and be the best coach I can be.' Hunter joined the Red Roses coaching staff only a few months after retiring, as part of the first cohort of female coaches on the Gallagher High Performance Academy. The North Shields native was given support through mentoring and workshops, as well as being embedded with the England team for the first WXV tournament, which the Red Roses won. Sixteen more female coaches will be part of the GHPA at the Rugby World Cup, with World Rugby aiming to have women making up at least 40 per cent of coaching staff at the tournament. Hunter is joined by Lou Meadows and Kate Tyler as mothers as part of the England backroom staff and has cited football coach Emma Hayes and Keely Hodgkinson's coach Jenny Meadows as inspirations. She said: 'Hopefully in time, Olivia will look back and see and be proud of what her mum has done. 'The opportunity to coach your national side who are one of the best teams in the world at a home World Cup may never come around again. 'When you are away from her, the times are hard, I just have to keep reminding myself of the reasons why and the importance of being in camp and the importance of doing my very best so there is something for her to be proud of when you return home. 'I want to take that role on and it is a bit of a responsibility to showcase that you can do both.' Hunter and England head into the home World Cup, which begins on 22 August at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland, having not lost since defeat in the final of the previous World Cup in New Zealand. Ticket sales are continuing to break records and the chance to be a part of it was too good for Hunter to turn down. 'The hopes around what this tournament could be back when the announcement happened to what it is now, all those plans that are coming to fruition,' she said. "The expectation of what we thought it could be to how it is now and hopefully by the end of September that is going to be blown out of the water.'
South Wales Argus
5 days ago
- Sport
- South Wales Argus
Women's Rugby World Cup will change the sport, says Hunter
England will play host to the biggest Women's Rugby World Cup ever seen when it gets underway in Sunderland on 22 August. Ticket sales have already broken records, but Hunter believes the impact goes past just the game in England. 'It is global. Because we are in England, we think about what can the growth be like here, but I genuinely think this could be a moment in time for the women's game worldwide,' Hunter said. 'What it can do to create that lasting legacy that really puts women's rugby on the map. 'If you look at where all the countries are coming from, you have South America, Brazil coming to their first World Cup, you've got Samoa returning for the first time in 11 years. 'All these wonderful nations, including Canada and the USA which in the men's game you might not think they are traditional rugby countries. 'I think that is what is so good about the women's game is that actually, it gets into places that maybe it hasn't been thought they play rugby. 'The eyes of the world will be on this tournament and if that is in countries that don't normally have rugby then that is a window where they can create their own legacy in their own right. 'Whether that is playing, whether that is fanbase, whatever that might be, I just think we've got a real opportunity, we've got more media attention, more fans coming from around the world. 'I think it is a prime opportunity to grow the game globally.' It is not just on the pitch or in the stands that the World Cup will have impact, with coaching set to be a key focus. The Gallagher High Performance Academy (GHPA) will see 16 female coaches embedded within their unions during the tournament. The World Rugby initiative aims to increase the number of female coaches in elite rugby by providing workshops and mentors as well as first-hand experience at tournaments. Hunter, who now serves as England defence coach, was part of the first GHPA cohort and believes it is doing important work in removing the barriers for women coaching in rugby. She added: 'Some of the barriers females find going into coaching, they don't often know the pathway exists or the opportunity is there. 'Sometimes I guess it might be seen as a risk to take on board a female who doesn't necessarily have all the previous experience, but they have got the skillset and the ability to do it. 'But they haven't been given the opportunity so that is what the High Performance Academy does. 'It gives people the opportunity to get a foot in the door, and it also allows the nation to have a female come in and just see the added value can have in their programme.' Gallagher is Right Here for Rugby; Right Here for Business; and Right Here for You.
South Wales Argus
5 days ago
- Sport
- South Wales Argus
Packer still has role to play for England, says Hunter
Sarah Hunter believes Marlie Packer still has an important role to play in England's World Cup campaign. Packer was replaced as captain by Zoe Aldcroft ahead of the 2025 Women's Six Nations, with the back row playing two of England's five matches as they won the Grand Slam. Despite her reduced role, former skipper Hunter, who now works as England's defence coach, believes there is a place for her in the squad. 'Marlie Packer had a bit of change in role from captaincy, now vice-captain,' Hunter explained. "This is her fourth World Cup, she brings so much experience. 'She's been captain so she can support Zoe really well, in terms of what it is like to be captain, what it is like to be at a World Cup. 'But that is not taking away from what she can deliver on the pitch. Some of her performances in the Six Nations, she put her head in places where people probably don't want to put them. 'She is this bundle of energy that you need within a squad, you need in those close World Cup game.' The Rugby World Cup begins on 22 August in Sunderland with Bristol's Ashton Gate set to host both semi-finals. Hunter hopes she and England will be there for one of them, having transitioned into coaching after retiring in 2023 and one of the first cohort in the Gallagher High Performance Academy. The World Rugby initiative aims to increase the number of female coaches in elite rugby by providing workshops and mentors as well as embedding coaches with unions at major tournaments. Hunter's first tournament was WXV in 2023, which England won, and she has helped stretched the Red Roses win streak to 25. Her work in the defence means she will work closely with Packer, who Hunter believes will fulfil any duty asked of her. She added: 'Marlie is reliable, she is dependable, she is someone that gets it, she is so passionate about playing for her country. 'She will do anything she can, she will play the role that she needs to for whatever game that is. 'She is very team-first, she will put people before herself to ensure whatever it is that is needed, she will ensure that either she does it or she supports the people who need to do it.' Gallagher is Right Here for Rugby; Right Here for Business; and Right Here for You.
North Wales Live
7 days ago
- Sport
- North Wales Live
Red Roses legend Sarah Hunter believes Women's Rugby World Cup will change sport forever
Former England captain Sarah Hunter believes the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup will create a lasting legacy for the game. England will play host to the biggest Women's Rugby World Cup ever seen when it gets under way in Sunderland on 22 August. Ticket sales have already broken records, but Hunter believes the impact goes past just the game in England, 'It is global. Because we are in England, we think about what the growth can be like here, but I genuinely think this could be a moment in time for the women's game worldwide,' Hunter said. 'What it can do to create that lasting legacy that really puts women's rugby on the map. If you look at where all the countries are coming from, you have South America, Brazil coming to their first World Cup, you've got Samoa returning for the first time in 11 years. 'All these wonderful nations, including Canada and the USA which in the men's game you might not think they are traditional rugby countries. I think that is what is so good about the women's game is that actually, it gets into places that maybe it hasn't been thought they play rugby. 'The eyes of the world will be on this tournament and if that is in countries that don't normally have rugby then that is a window where they can create their own legacy in their own right. Whether that is playing, whether that is fanbase, whatever that might be, I just think we've got a real opportunity, we've got more media attention, more fans coming from around the world. 'I think it is a prime opportunity to grow the game globally.' It is not just on the pitch or in the stands that the World Cup will have impact, with coaching set to be a key focus. The Gallagher High Performance Academy (GHPA) will see 16 female coaches embedded within their unions during the tournament. The World Rugby initiative aims to increase the number of female coaches in elite rugby by providing workshops and mentors as well as first-hand experience at tournaments. Hunter, who now serves as England defence coach, was part of the first GHPA cohort and believes it is doing important work in removing the barriers for women coaching in rugby. She added: 'Some of the barriers females find going into coaching, they don't often know the pathway exists or the opportunity is there. Sometimes I guess it might be seen as a risk to take on board a female who all the previous experience doesn't necessarily have, but they have got the skillset and the ability to do it. 'But they haven't been given the opportunity so that is what the High-Performance Academy does. It gives people the opportunity to get a foot in the door, and it also allows the nation to have a female come in and just see the added value can have in their programme.'
