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'I certainly think turning professional in 2019 has helped enormously'

By PA
(Photo by Alex Davidson/The RFU Collection via Getty Images)

England captain Sarah Hunter believes women’s rugby has not even “scratched the surface” in terms of how big a sport it can become.

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Hunter’s team are the global pace-setters two months out from an eagerly anticipated World Cup in New Zealand.

They top the world rankings, have won four successive Six Nations titles and are unbeaten for 23 Tests since losing to New Zealand in 2019.

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Such impressive achievements help underpin England’s status as World Cup favourites as they bid to reclaim a trophy they last won eight years ago.

Hunter, a pillar of the women’s game who has won 134 caps during a 15-year international career, has been inspired by England’s stunning success at Women’s Euro 2022.

And her excitement for what the future holds is almost tangible, highlighting the Red Roses’ move to professional contracts in 2019 as a huge moment.

The Rugby Football Union, meanwhile, recently unveiled plans to invest more than £200million over a 10-year period into the domestic Premier 15s competition, with an ultimate aim of making it a fully professional league.

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“I certainly think turning professional in 2019 has helped enormously,” Hunter told the PA news agency.

“It allows that freshness. We don’t have to go back to a full-time profession outside of rugby. Our sole focus is on being a rugby player and managing that.

“On your down-time you can switch off, you can recover and get the right nutrition in, which ultimately allows you to perform better when you get on the field, whether for a game or for training.

“It allows you to spend more time doing analysis, more time developing as an individual, whatever it might be.

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“Being professional allows you to become a better player and have more time with the team and not fit everything into a weekend after going to work for a week, which is what we used to do.

“That has been such a significant change-up for us, especially since 2019.”

Hunter anticipates a fiercely competitive World Cup, which kicks off in early October with England facing pool games against Fiji, France and South Africa.

“The level has gone up, there is increased competitiveness in the game,” the 36-year-old added.

“And the really exciting thing is that I don’t think it has even scratched the surface. I think we will see in the next couple of years it going on to bigger and better things.

“Ireland have announced contracts, Scotland and Wales too, and that’s just the home nations. New Zealand already have them, the French have a hybrid system.

“Players are starting at a younger age, they are having better coaching in better environments.

“The pathway in place in England and what they are exposed to means that as they are coming through they are so talented they are adding that edge, the drive and standards that the players currently in the game need to raise to.

“It just keeps snowballing, which is what has elevated the standard of the women’s game to the next level.”

World Cup success would see England continue huge momentum for women’s sport generated by the Lionesses.

“It (winning the World Cup) is our target, and we don’t shy away from that,” Hunter said.

“It is the ambition of this squad, but there are a lot of other nations vying for that as well.

“We will put our best foot forward, and on November 12 we will see who ends up lifting the trophy.”

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B
BeamMeUp 14 minutes ago
The Springboks have something you don't have

A few comments. Firstly, I am a Bok fan and it's been a golden period for us. I hope my fellow Bok fans appreciate this time and know that it cannot last forever, so soak it all in!


The other thing to mention (and this is targeted at Welsh, English and even Aussie supporters who might be feeling somewhat dejected) is that it's easy to forget that just before Rassie Erasmus took over in 2018, the Boks were ranked 7th in the world and I had given up hope we'd ever be world beaters again.


Sport is a fickle thing and Rassie and his team have managed to get right whatever little things it takes to make a mediocre team great. I initially worried his methods might be short-lived (how many times can you raise a person's commitment by talking about his family and his love of his country as a motivator), but he seems to have found a way. After winning in 2019 on what was a very simple game plan, he has taken things up ever year - amazing work which has to be applauded! (Dankie Rassie! Ons wardeer wat jy vir die ondersteuners en die land doen!) (Google translate if you don't understand Afrikaans! 😁)


I don't think people outside South Africa fully comprehend the enormity of the impact seeing black and white, English, Afrikaans and Xhosa and all the other hues playing together does for the country's sense of unity. It's pure joy and happiness.


This autumn tour has been a bit frustrating in that the Boks have won, but never all that convincingly. On the one hand, I'd like to have seen more decisive victories, BUT what Rassie has done is expose a huge number of players to test rugby, whilst also diversifying the way the Boks play (Tony Brown's influence).


This change of both style and personnel has resulted in a lack of cohesion at times and we've lost some of the control, whereas had we been playing our more traditional style, that wouldn't happen. This is partially attributable to the fact that you cannot play Tony Brown's expansive game whilst also having 3 players available at every contact point to clear the defence off the ball. I have enjoyed seeing the Boks play a more exciting, less attritional game, which is a boring, albeit effective spectacle. So, I am happy to be patient, because the end justifies the means (and I trust Rassie!). Hopefully all these players we are blooding will give us incredible options for substitutions come next year's Rugby Championship and of course, the big prize in 2027.


Last point! The game of rugby has never been as exciting as it is now. Any of Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, France, Argentina, Scotland, England & Australia can beat one another. South Africa may be ranked #1, but I wouldn't bet my house in them beating France or New Zealand, and we saw Argentina beating both South Africa and New Zealand this year! That's wonderful for the game and makes the victories we do get all the sweeter. Each win is 100% earned. Long may it last!


Sorry for the long post! 🏉🌍

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