Emily Scarratt has officially retired from professional rugby at 35, bringing to a close a 17-year international career that defined England’s golden era. The iconic centre finishes with 119 caps, 754 points as the nation’s all-time leading scorer, and two World Cup victories. Her retirement marks the end of an era in which England dominated women’s rugby with Scarratt as the centerpiece.
Scarratt’s career coincided with England’s most successful period. From her 2008 debut through to her final appearance, England experienced unprecedented success. Her contribution to 11 Six Nations championships helped establish England’s European dominance. Her achievement of competing in five World Cups—winning two—reflected England’s consistent presence among rugby’s elite during this golden era.
The 2014 Rugby World Cup stands as the pinnacle of this golden era. Scarratt finished as the tournament’s leading scorer with 70 points and earned player of the final honors as England won the championship. This tournament victory, with Scarratt at her peak, represented the apex of English women’s rugby success. The 2019 World Rugby Player of the Year award further confirmed this era’s dominance.
Throughout this golden era, Scarratt captained Great Britain at the 2016 Rio Olympics and won Commonwealth Games bronze with England sevens in 2018. At club level with Lichfield and Loughborough Lightning, she maintained standards that reflected the era’s excellence.
As this golden era concludes with Scarratt’s retirement, she will help build the next era 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 role. In her retirement announcement, Scarratt expressed pride in being part of women’s rugby’s transformation during this golden era and gratitude for the privilege of retiring on her own terms. England head coach John Mitchell described her as a once-in-a-generation player who defined this golden era and whose influence will shape whatever era follows.
