From beanpole to five World Cups: Emily Scarratt rewatches England career

Emily Scarratt came off the bench against United States on Friday night, becoming the first England player to appear at five Rugby World Cups. Scarratt’s 119th cap came against the same opponents as her debut, substituting Esher for Sunderland’s Stadium of Light.

Before the tournament, Scarratt sat down with The Times to watch clips from her 17-year international career, showing her development and that of women’s rugby — from messy breakdowns and grassroots venues to the modern game.

Aged 18, Scarratt was called up for the Nations Cup with Canada and the USA, with four fixtures in 11 days at Esher’s Molesey Road. She was a replacement outside centre, breaking through on a hard line for the first of 53 international tries. The Rugby Football Union for Women was still the team’s governing body and the national side had only just been permitted to wear a rose on their shirts, rather than a tulip.

Scarratt made her debut in 2008 against the USA

Scarratt There’s no crowd on the other side of the pitch. I think you could literally walk your dog down the side. You didn’t need a ticket to get in through restricted access.

The forwards all look the same shape and size, don’t they? I look like a beanpole. I’m wearing shoulder pads. I look exhausted when I score. Thankfully my cardiovascular fitness has improved since then. I remember the try, but not too much else. Back then, being a substitute didn’t mean you definitely got on.

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I was more nervous about singing the flipping debut song on the bus home. It was a pretty ruthless era. You couldn’t sing something that had been done before, but you have no idea what has been done. I remember going through at least three songs and they kept shouting: “We’ve had it, we’ve had it.” I ended up singing YMCA because I was running low on ideas.

It was definitely a different time, societally, as we did things differently, so it was probably a bit tougher than today. But I’m definitely grateful for being in that time.

September 5, 2010: New Zealand 13 England 10

At Scarratt’s first World Cup, she started the final against the Black Ferns, in front of 13,253 at Twickenham Stoop. Charlotte Barras scored England’s only try in a third successive final defeat by New Zealand.

Barras scores England’s only try in the 2010 World Cup final defeat by New Zealand

Scarratt We’d never played in front of a crowd like this — compare it with Esher two years earlier. I always remember arriving on the bus and hearing the noise, thinking: “Are all these people here to watch the game?” It just was so bizarre.

I don’t think I processed it for a while. Immediately afterwards people were in tears and devastated. Obviously you’re sad, but I don’t remember feeling it to the same degree. I saw my family and friends and was quite chatty. It wasn’t until the whole thing sank in, maybe even six months later, that it dawned on me: you were playing in the World Cup final and you lost by three points.

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It made me realise how much more you can give. I was in my second year at university, having a good time in a non-professional era, travelling a lot to Lichfield, trying to burn the candle at all ends. I played a lot of sevens after this and you find new depths you didn’t realise you had.

November 27, 2012: England 17 New Zealand 8

England won three Tests against the Black Ferns in the space of nine days. After opening at Esher and finishing at Twickenham (on the day the men beat the All Blacks), the middle fixture was at Aldershot Military Stadium. Scarratt played at full back and was the goalkicker. It was windy, and she had a “stupidly high tee” on heavy ground.

Scarratt was on kicking duty when England got the better of New Zealand in 2012

Scarratt It’s starting to look like we’re wearing kit that fits us. My dad and brother are farmers and wear some of the old Gilbert stuff to work in.

When we arrived at Twickenham, the men’s game was going on, so you walk past the tunnel and get that snapshot of the crowd. You can hear the noise. We came out to warm up as the final whistle went. You go back in to get changed, you come back out for the anthem and then it’s: “Oh wait, where did everyone go?”

August 17, 2014: England 21 Canada 9

England reached the World Cup final in Paris. Scarratt was the tournament’s leading points-scorer, with 70 in five games. She converted her own try to secure victory, having turned down a kick for the posts before the lineout.

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Scarratt was no stranger to scoring points at the 2014 World Cup

Scarratt I remember playing five lots of 80 minutes in pretty much two weeks, which was bonkers. We were all in pieces at the end.

I hadn’t practised my goalkicking all week because I had a really tight adductor. At the penalty, Katy Daley-McLean asked: “Do you fancy it?” I’d learnt over the years not to say yes because you think you should, but because you think you can. She jokes that she nearly took the ball off me and kicked it herself.

Maybe part of me knew Katy wasn’t happy, so I’d better go and do something. You sidestep and then it’s almost like everyone has run out of your way and it’s a natural channel.

It’s the reaction, how happy everyone is. That’s why you do it, isn’t it?

June 17, 2017: New Zealand 21 England 29

England had three Tests in nine days in New Zealand. They hadn’t beaten the Black Ferns away since 2001, but they ended that drought in Rotorua in a double-header with the British & Irish Lions versus Maori All Blacks. Scarratt crossed early and kicked two conversions. She had a Gavin Henson-style high knee in her run-up.

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Scarratt helped to end a 16-year wait for England in New Zealand

Scarratt You grew up watching the Lions but you don’t necessarily understand what it’s about until you see the red shirts. I’m pretty sure we had people supporting us that were Welsh, Scottish, and Irish from the accents.

I stopped doing [the high knee] because we flip-flopped between XVs and sevens a lot. When I was playing sevens I wasn’t really goalkicking much, so when I came back I just needed to strip it all back and just kick the ball, as opposed to faffing around.

April 20, 2024: England 88 Ireland 10

Scarratt won her 100th cap at Welford Road in 2022, and then started in the World Cup final defeat by New Zealand at Eden Park, before a neck injury kept her out for more than a year. She missed the standalone match against France at Twickenham, in front of a world-record women’s crowd of 58,498, but came off the bench the following season against Ireland, creating a try for Ellie Kildunne with the outside of her right boot.

Scarratt was the creator at Twickenham in 2024

Scarratt People called it a piece of skill. If I had a left foot, it would have looked a lot easier than I made it.

People say: “If you could go back and you could be 25 now and live in this professional world, where you’re getting paid more . . .” but I genuinely wouldn’t change it. I grew up far more as a person, and appreciate the small things far more.

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Someone mentioned it the other day: “Scaz played in the 2010 World Cup.” Some of their faces were in complete shock. “Are you joking? You played in the last home World Cup?”

Footage courtesy of World Rugby, the RFU, Six Nations and Sky Sport NZ

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