Hunter's Hometown Finale
It will be an emotional occasion on Saturday when Red Roses captain Sarah Hunter runs out for her final Red Roses Test match.
After announcing her retirement on Tuesday, it will be a particularly special moment for Sarah and her family. Having made her senior England debut in 2007, she brings her 16-year England career to an end at her hometown stadium as England’s most-capped player, with 141.
To mark the occasion, Sarah’s niece Isabella will be a mascot, running out to sing the national anthem with her aunt for the final time.
Hunter first stepped into a leadership role in 2014 when she was named vice captain, and alongside Katy Daley-Mclean, helped lead the England team to World Cup victory in France that year.
Once Katy moved to sevens, Sarah stepped up to captain the team, a role she has held proudly ever since.
Her captaincy journey has been a successful one, from winning multiple Six Nations Grand Slams to reaching the World Cup finals in 2017 and 2022.
She has not only been recognised for team successes, but individual achievements, receiving an MBE for Services to Rugby and being named the 2016 World Rugby Women’s Player of the Year.
Sarah's rugby journey
This week Sarah spoke to the England Rugby Podcast: O2 Inside Line about her childhood and her rugby journey.
Sarah grew up in North Tyneside in Newcastle, a childhood that seemed nothing short of idyllic; within walking distance of school and with neighbours as friends. Playing team sports with other kids in the local park was the norm.
When she was nine she discovered rugby after her primary school head teacher pushed for equality in the sports curriculum when rugby league was being promoted in the area.
“My first experience probably came completely out of the blue. Nobody in my family played. I’ve got an older brother, he never played, and my Dad didn’t play.”
“I just remember having the best time running around, probably pretty clueless, but having fun with my classmates and absolutely loving it. I’d go home telling my Mum and Dad that I played rugby and really enjoyed it.
“They didn’t say ‘oh well what are you doing, a girl playing rugby?’ They really embraced it and were like ‘oh that’s brilliant that you loved it.’ So I guess that’s where the story starts.”
At 13, Sarah faced the challenges of being a girl in the sport and, after a few years of inconsistency with their self-made girls’ team, she made the move to rugby union at 15.
“I thought why not, how hard can it be going from league to union, it’s rugby isn’t it? But boy did I learn very quickly that although they have the same name, they are very different.”
After England Under 19s coach Phil Forsyth suggested Sarah switch from inside centre to back row, it was not long before she became part of the squad, making her debut in 2003.
Still dreaming of making the senior team, she joined Lichfield Ladies while studying at Loughborough University, and was named captain in her second year.
In her final year of university, Sarah got her first cap for the Red Roses.
“To stand there and sing the national anthem was an incredibly proud day, people talk about special moments in your career, and that fundamentally will always be one.”
Highs and lows
“The loss in the 2017 World Cup final was really difficult for me personally, but I think as much pain as it caused, it really helped guide me in the latter part of my captaincy and, hopefully, helped make me a better leader.
“The thing I learnt about being captain is that it’s alright to ask for help. It’s alright to grow, develop, and understand, and reflect on how you’ve done something. I think it’s just that acceptance of not being perfect.”
Brought to tears reminiscing their recent loss in New Zealand at Eden Park in the World Cup final, Sarah added: “I think the most pain I had was for my teammates, especially the players who hadn’t played in a final. That was their first experience.
“You know the hurt they’re going through and, as a senior player, someone who’s been there and done that, as captain, you want to take that away from them; you never want them to feel the way they are feeling.
“The little bit of solace you take from it is the way the team performed in that final. No one can take that away from this group and knowing that no one could have done any more in the 80 minutes than we had done.”
Asking about her decision to retire, Sarah said: “Even though the temptation to play another home World Cup and the possibility of selling out Twickenham does appeal to me, my body is physically and mentally telling me otherwise.”
Signing off her England career here where her rugby began, you can expect to see her characteristic applause for the crowd one last time.
