‘I would love it if young girls want to be me’
Emily Scarratt, the new World Player of the Year, tells Fiona Tomas about becoming a role model
When she called time on her illustrious sevens career to sign for Loughborough 11 months ago, it was not lost on Emily Scarratt that she would be fine-tuning her already polished game in a league sponsored by a potato crisp manufacturer. In joining the Tyrrells Premier 15s, the opportunity to be part of a new flavour of women’s rugby beckoned, as did one overriding childhood memory of her family’s farm in Leicestershire.
“I still claim we had the best jacket potatoes ever,” beamed Scarratt. “We used to grow potatoes when I was growing up. But, not to get too technical … we’re on quite heavy land, so it was quite hard work to grow them where we were.”
Scarratt plays down her agricultural nous, insisting the extent of her help around the farm – which her parents Mark and Yvonne run – stretched to unskilled jobs such as driving a tractor, ploughing a field, hay baling and other “bits of manual labour” in the summer holidays.
Such modesty came to the fore last Sunday, when Scarratt was crowned World Rugby’s Player of the Year in Tokyo in recognition of her seamless transition back into XVS. On receiving the accolade – only the second time an English player had done so, after her Loughborough team-mate Sarah Hunter three years ago – she paid tribute to the others pushing the standard of women’s rugby “through the roof ”.
Yet the England centre has been at the heart of such growth since bursting on to the Test scene in 2008 with 12 tries in 12 games – earning comparisons to Brian O’driscoll – just two years after turning down a basketball scholarship in the United States when aged 16.
“It’s incredibly flattering to be compared to one of the best centres in the world,” said Scarratt, whose 11 points from the boot in England’s 2014 World Cup triumph over Canada inspired comparisons with Jonny Wilkinson. One wonders if Scarratt’s trademark, free-running play will forever be confined to male analogies.
“Growing up, women’s sport wasn’t as high profile as it is now, so, for me, it was about looking up to players like Brian and Will Greenwood, those guys who were very visible and playing in a similar position to me,” continued Scarratt. “I’d love it for young girls now growing up to say, ‘I want to be compared to a Sarah Hunter or an Emily Scarratt’. That’s definitely where we want the game to go and continue pushing to make ourselves as visible as possible.”
Scarratt has targeted that visibility in returning to the XVS game, allowing herself time to prepare for a possible rematch with champions New Zealand, the hosts for the 2021 World Cup. In doing so, she has forfeited the possibility of a second Olympic Games in Tokyo, having captained the Great Britain sevens side in Rio in 2016.
“It was an incredibly tough decision,” admitted Scarratt. “Some people won’t agree with that and have different opinions on it but, for me, the biggest thing is to look back and not have any regrets. Looking back on that 2017 campaign, I don’t have any regrets, but it’s something that I learnt from. This time, I’ve given myself three years’ prep into a World Cup. If that doesn’t work out, I will have at least given myself the chance to hopefully be at my best.”
At the Super Series in July, Scarratt again displayed her knack of saving England late on – scoring two tries and a penalty with eight minutes left to edge out France 20-18. She could repeat those heroics at the Stade Marcelmichelin in Clermont today, when England face France again in the first of three autumn Tests sponsored by Quilter, a principal partner of England Rugby. The hosts will be no pushovers, and Scarratt’s match-up with Jessy Tremouliere, last year’s World Rugby Player of the Year, will certainly be intriguing.
“These are our first games back, we want to come out all guns blazing,” said Scarratt, who was permanently promoted as Red Roses’ vice-captain during the week. “France are always going to be tough, but France away is probably one of my favourite fixtures. They always get amazing crowds and fantastic noise and it’s French and flamboyant. Hopefully that will be the case again.”
England
‘This time, I have given myself three years’ prep into a World Cup. I want to be at my best in 2021’