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Sarah Hunter is England’s most capped rugby player of all time, across both men’s and women’s rugby, cementing her status as one of the sport’s all-time greats. She reached this historic milestone on rugby’s biggest stage at the 2022 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

Sarah is the only woman in England’s history to win the Rugby World Cup both as a player and as a coach. She lifted the trophy as a player in 2014 and, in a record-breaking moment at the 2025 World Cup in England, led the Red Roses to victory as a coach.

A true icon of English rugby, Sarah’s career is marked by exceptional achievements. She and her team were the first women’s rugby team to win the prestigious BBC Sports Personality Team of the Year Award in 2014. Her outstanding contributions to the sport have also been recognised with an MBE and later a CBE. Today, she continues to inspire the next generation as Defence Coach for the Red Roses, championing women and girls in rugby.

As England captain for seven years, Sarah led her side to four Six Nations Grand Slam titles and earned accolades including England Player of the Year from the Rugby Players’ Association and World Rugby’s Player of the Year. She retired in 2023 in front of a sell-out crowd at her home stadium, Kingston Park, leaving a legacy of leadership and excellence.

Born in North Shields, Sarah began playing rugby league at just nine years old at Goathland Primary School. She later studied Sports Science and Mathematics at Loughborough University and worked as an RFU University Rugby Development Officer before joining Loughborough Lightning as a player-coach.

Sarah is an accomplished speaker, known for delivering engaging talks to diverse audiences. Her sessions cover leadership, performing under pressure, the psychology of winning, thriving in male-dominated environments, and challenging perceptions—drawing on her extraordinary experience at the very pinnacle of world rugby.

Sarah Hunter CBE Motivational Speaking Topics

Sarah’s speaking topics include: leadership, understanding pressure, the psychology of winning, working in a male-dominated environment and challenging perceptions.

Sarah Hunter CBE Speaking Testimonials

“I was blown away and inspired listening to the ups and downs of Sarah’s rugby career while balancing all the other aspects of her life. I have listened to a lot of motivational speakers, and Sarah is the best by far, which was mirrored by the feedback I received from the graduates attending Santander’s Graduate Welcome event.   The honesty of the experiences & the links to the corporate world & Banking were made very clearly & appropriately to help the guests understand that they would be facing a similar journey.”

Inspire. Lead. Win. Experience Sarah Hunter CBE sharing her journey from player to coach. For availability, fees and booking contact Great Sports Speakers 01753 439289