Hunter ‘excited’ to be involved in home World Cup
FORMER England captain Sarah Hunter says she feels lucky to still be involved with the international team ahead of a home World Cup next year.
The 38-year-old Loughborough Lightning legend retired last season after becoming the Red Roses’ most capped player with 141 appearances.
Hunter is now England defence coach and has made an impressive impact, with the team not conceding any points in their Six Nations wins over Italy and Scotland.
The Red Roses remain on course to secure a third successive Grand Slam and a sixth successive Six Nations title, and welcome Ireland to Twickenham on Saturday, with a crowd of more than 45,000 expected.
However, the long-term goal remains success at a home World Cup in 2025, which was a big reason in Hunter taking on her new role.
“I have been able to come back in with the timing of it, in terms of where the game is going and building,” Hunter, who led England to World Cup glory in 2014, told BBC Sport.
“The fact there is a home World Cup next year... I knew I was never going to make it [to that tournament] as a player but there was always the feeling that if I was a year or two younger, I might have been able to make it.
“I do feel fortunate I have been given the opportunity to do that [as a coach] and be involved in the game at its most exciting and biggest time.”
Hunter admits she was initially not “comfortable” in her new role as defence coach, but now feels she is settling in.
“I do feel over time that it has got a little bit easier,” she said.
“It is more seamless now than maybe I felt at the start.
“Did I feel comfortable at the start? Absolutely not.
“It was just a bit of the unknown, I guess, which was definitely something I had not prepared for.
“Not that I [thought I] would be graceful like a swan - but on the
HER DEFENCE COACH ROLE
surface, I was kind of pretending I knew what I was doing when under the water I was like: ‘Am I doing the right thing?’”
Meanwhile, England and Leicester Tigers hooker Amy Cokayne will miss Saturday’s clash with Ireland following her sending off against Scotland.
The Red Roses completed the final 25 minutes of their 46-0 victory in Edinburgh with only 14 players after Cokayne received her second yellow card, resulting in her dismissal.
The first offence was a dangerous clear out and the second a dangerous tackle, with a disciplinary committee awarding a twomatch suspension that was reduced to one because of mitigation.
Cokayne, who was making her first England appearance for 12 months after recovering from a calf injury, will return for the probable Grand Slam decider against France on Saturday week.