At 35, Emily Scarratt has announced her retirement from playing rugby, concluding a 17-year international career characterized by unwavering consistency and excellence. The centre’s final statistics include 119 caps for England, 754 points as the nation’s all-time leading scorer, and two World Cup championships. Her ability to deliver world-class performances year after year set her apart from her contemporaries.
Scarratt’s England journey commenced in 2008, beginning what would become a masterclass in sustained excellence. She was instrumental in securing 11 Six Nations championships, rarely having an off day throughout her career. Her unprecedented participation in five World Cups distinguishes her from all other English players, demonstrating remarkable consistency across multiple tournament cycles spanning different eras. This sustained performance required exceptional professionalism in training, recovery, and preparation.
The 2014 Rugby World Cup represents the peak of Scarratt’s career. She finished as the tournament’s leading scorer with 70 points and earned player of the final recognition as England won the championship. Her performances throughout that competition showcased her ability to deliver consistently under the most intense pressure. This reliability and excellence earned her the 2019 World Rugby Player of the Year award, recognizing her as the sport’s premier performer.
Scarratt’s talents extended to sevens rugby, where she captained Great Britain at the 2016 Rio Olympics, leading with the same consistency that defined her 15-a-side career. She added a Commonwealth Games bronze medal with England sevens in 2018, demonstrating her ability to excel across formats. At club level, she represented Lichfield and Loughborough Lightning with distinction, maintaining high standards throughout her domestic career.
As she transitions away from playing, Scarratt will continue contributing to rugby through coaching. She has been appointed as an assistant coach with Loughborough Lightning for the upcoming season and will also work with the RFU in a specialist coaching and mentoring capacity. In her retirement announcement, Scarratt expressed pride in witnessing women’s rugby’s transformation into a professional sport and gratitude for the privilege of retiring on her own terms. England head coach John Mitchell paid tribute to her as a generational talent whose leadership and consistent quality established benchmarks that elevated everyone around her.