Sarah Hunter is captain of the England Women rugby team and will be leading the side into the Women ’ s Rugby World Cup in Ireland this month . Having won the competition in 2014 she will be looking to triumph again .
Rugby Monthly caught up with her during a rare afternoon off to talk all things rugby . . .
ENGLAND ’ S
LEADING LADY
RM “ Is it true that you nearly never played rugby union , so life could have taken you in a completely different direction from where you have ended up now ?”
SH “ Absolutely ! I am a proud Geordie so the whole family is football mad . We had season tickets for Newcastle United FC and the only rugby I played was League . When that wasn ’ t an option I found a rugby union club . I was only 9 . There weren ’ t many Union clubs in our area so mum and dad spent hours ferrying me everywhere to play so I owe them everything . They became rugby lovers and ended up washing the team kit and cleaning boots like the other parents . I genuinely believe that without them I would not be where I am today .”
RM “ So they definitely had a big impact on your early career , do they still follow your success now ?”
SH “ They come to pretty much every game they can . They are absolutely amazing in the support they still give me and I always look out for them . I know they are there for me whatever the match result . I vividly remember after losing the World Cup final in 2010 I was absolutely sobbing and all I wanted was to see them . I found them and I just broke down . I had nothing left in me but they knew exactly how to pick me up . That ’ s what they do for me . Also , they now seem to plan their holidays around our fixtures which is great !”
RM “ Women ’ s rugby is going through some very exciting times with the start of the new Super League looming . Is that something you expected ?”
SH “ To be honest I think this is the path that Women ’ s rugby needs to take for the domestic game to get to the next level in the professional arena . At present there is a bit of a discrepancy between some clubs in terms of what they can provide . We have seen similar models work well in women ’ s football and netball . The
6 RUGBYMONTHLY ISSUE 1 / AUGUST 2017