After 119 Caps for England: Emily Scarratt’s Playing Days End

Emily Scarratt has brought her playing career to an end, announcing retirement at 35 after earning 119 caps for England across 17 years. The distinguished centre also departs with 754 points as the nation’s all-time leading scorer and two World Cup championships. Her 119 international appearances represent consistent selection at the highest level across nearly two decades—a testament to sustained excellence.
Scarratt’s journey to 119 caps began with her 2008 debut. Each subsequent cap represented another opportunity to represent her country, and she rarely disappointed. Her contribution to 11 Six Nations championship victories came across those 119 appearances, with her consistent selection reflecting her importance to every England coach she worked with. Her achievement of competing in five World Cups meant significant portions of those 119 caps came in rugby’s most prestigious tournament.
The 2014 Rugby World Cup saw some of Scarratt’s finest performances among those 119 appearances. She finished as the tournament’s leading scorer with 70 points and earned player of the final honors as England won the championship. Her ability to deliver consistently across 119 caps, rather than intermittently, separated her from other talented players. This reliability earned her the 2019 World Rugby Player of the Year award.
Beyond her 119 fifteens caps, Scarratt also represented Great Britain at the 2016 Rio Olympics and England sevens at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. At club level, she made countless appearances for Lichfield and Loughborough Lightning, adding to her remarkable games tally across all competitions.
As she steps away from adding to her cap count, Scarratt begins her coaching career. She has accepted an assistant coaching position with Loughborough Lightning for the next season and will also work with the RFU in a specialist coaching and mentoring capacity. In her retirement statement, Scarratt expressed pride in being part of women’s rugby’s evolution into a professional sport and gratitude for the opportunity to retire on her own terms. England head coach John Mitchell described her as a once-in-a-generation player whose 119 caps for England represented consistent excellence that few athletes achieve.