Sarah Hunter

Described by England Rugby as determined and dedicated, Sarah Hunter is a legendary English rugby player. As the current team captain, she plays as a number eight for the England women’s rugby union team and Loughborough Lightning. 

Born on 19 September 1985 in North Shields, Hunter began playing rugby at the age of nine. She initially played league but switched codes in 2000 when she joined Novocastrians RFC. Here, Hunter represented the team as a centre and was awarded the Players’ Player of the Year for her performances. She later changed to the back row and began to represent the England U19s. 

In 2004, Hunter moved to Loughborough for university and began a degree in Sports Science and Mathematics. She was selected for the Lichfield Ladies in the same year and remained with the club until 2015. 

Sarah Hunter first took to the international stage in 2007 and has represented England ever since. To date, her England career has been phenomenal. Her feats include leading the squad to victory at the 2014 Rugby World Cup and claiming her 100th cap during the 2017 Rugby World Cup. Additionally, Hunter was awarded an MBE for services to rugby in 2015 and was recognised as the World Rugby Women’s Player of the Year in 2016.

After so much success, Hunter was plagued by hamstring and neck injuries during 2020 and spent 13 months away from the pitch. In 2021, she returned with a brilliant performance as England beat Italy in the 2021 Women’s Six Nations.

In 2022, it was announced that Hunter would earn her 138th cap during the quarter-finals at the delayed 2021 Rugby World Cup. This made her England’s most capped player of all time. What’s more, she scored a try during the match and helped her team to beat Australia 41-5. 

It goes without saying that Sarah Hunter has enjoyed a truly spectacular career. As a player who never fails to deliver, we can’t wait to see what else she can do.