England’s Double World Cup Winner Emily Scarratt Announces Retirement From Rugby

England’s Emily Scarratt has announced her status from rugby aft a 17-year world career. The two-time World Cup victor said successful a connection nan “time feels correct to measurement away”.

Scarratt made her England debut successful 2008 and went connected to triumph 119 caps and 11 Six Nations titles. The 35-year-old besides represented nan Red Roses successful 5 World Cups, nan only England subordinate to do so.

At nine level she played for Lichfield and Loughborough Lightning. Scarratt will stay astatine nan Premiership Women’s Rugby nine Loughborough arsenic an adjunct coach and she will besides return connected a master coaching and mentoring domiciled pinch nan Rugby Football Union (RFU) this season.

“It’s been nan top privilege to deterioration nan England garment and to correspond my state for truthful galore years,” Scarratt said. “Rugby has fixed maine everything; unthinkable teammates, memories, and experiences I’ll transportation pinch maine forever.

“I still emotion nan game, but nan clip feels correct to measurement away. You don’t ever get nan chance successful athletics to make that determination for yourself, and I consciousness truthful fortunate to do truthful connected my ain terms, proud of everything I’ve been portion of.

“From my first headdress successful 2008 to stepping retired successful beforehand of more than 80,000 group astatine a World Cup final, nan travel has been incredible. To person witnessed and played a portion successful nan translator of women’s rugby from amateur to master is thing I’m immensely proud of.”

Scarratt ends her England profession arsenic nan Red Roses all-time apical points-scorer pinch 754 and is nan third-highest connected nan England women’s headdress and top-try scorer lists. The centre besides was named World Rugby subordinate of nan twelvemonth successful 2019.

Scarratt thanked her family, coaches, teammates and fans for their support passim her profession and added: “While it’s nan correct infinitesimal to extremity playing, I’m really excited to enactment progressive pinch nan RFU and to thief style nan early of nan game. The women’s crippled is successful an astonishing place, and I’m proud to still beryllium portion of its journey.”

John Mitchell, nan England caput coach, said of Scarratt: “Emily is simply a erstwhile successful a procreation player. Her quality, her calmness nether pressure, and her expertise to lead by illustration group nan modular for everyone astir her.

“There was nary amended illustration of this than nan domiciled she played during nan caller World Cup, wherever she added immense worth disconnected nan field, contempt not playing arsenic overmuch arsenic she mightiness person hoped for – that is conscionable nan benignant of typical personification that she is.

“She’s had a immense effect connected nan Red Roses and connected women’s rugby globally, and we’re thrilled she’ll proceed to stock that acquisition done a different role.”