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Scarratt joins England coaching team permanently
England's record points-scorer Emily Scarratt has agreed to join the Red Roses coaching set-up on a permanent basis, having initially taken on the role as lead attack and backs coach on an interim footing for this year's Women's Six Nations. Her move underlines the growing role former players are taking in coaching the women's game, coming after England secured an eighth consecutive Six Nations title and follows the departure of former attack coach Lou Meadows after last year's World Cup win.
Scarratt, 36, had returned to her assistant coaching post at Premiership Women's Rugby side Loughborough Lightning after the Six Nations, but will now leave the club after eight years there as player and coach to focus fully on the national side. Under her guidance, England's attack scored 27 more points in the 2026 Six Nations than in 2025, and head coach John Mitchell praised the insight and calmness she has brought to the environment. Scarratt, who won 119 caps, two World Cups and is the only English player of either sex to appear at five Rugby World Cups, retired from playing after last September's World Cup triumph at a sold-out Allianz Stadium.
In short
- Emily Scarratt becomes permanent Red Roses attack and backs coach.
- She leaves her assistant coaching role at Loughborough Lightning.
- England's attack improved by 27 points under her interim coaching.
Explained simply
The Red Roses are England’s women’s national rugby union team. The Six Nations is an annual tournament between England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales, and the World Cup is the sport’s main international competition.
Emily Scarratt is a former England centre and the team’s record points-scorer. After retiring from playing, she moved into coaching; before joining the national set-up, she spent eight years as a player and coach with Loughborough Lightning, a club in England’s top women’s league.
England’s coaches plan and lead how the team plays, including its attack, while players and coaches also work at club level. Former international players such as Scarratt bring experience of elite competition into coaching, linking their playing careers with the development of the current team.