Scarratt proud of rugby's growth after record opening weekend

When Emily Scarratt made her World Cup debut, there weren’t even stands for supporters to sit in – let alone stadiums to pack out.

But as 2025 ticket sales exceed expectations, TV viewing numbers smash records and more people engage with the Women’s World Cup than ever before, the 35-year-old admits the opening weekend made her ‘proud to be English’ and hardened her determination to bring the trophy home.

Scarratt has seen and done it all in a near two-decade international career that has brought eight Six Nations titles and a 2014 World Cup winners’ medal.

However, women’s rugby is hoping for its ‘Lionesses moment’ this summer as the Red Roses look to emulate the England footballers of 2022 by winning a global tournament on home soil.

So far, more than 400,000 tickets have been sold, smashing targets, while there was a peak TV audience of 2.4 million on the BBC for Friday’s opener, where England beat USA in Sunderland in front of 42,000.

It is a far cry from Scarratt’s first tournament 15 years ago.

Straight back to work 👊#ENGvSAM 🔜 #RedRoses #RWC2025 pic.twitter.com/PLVozNqAJ4

— Red Roses (@RedRosesRugby) August 25, 2025

England were again the hosts but pool matches were played at Surrey Sports Park, the training ground of club side Harlequins. There, group matches ran concurrently and fans could only watch on from the side of the pitch.

“This will be my last World Cup, that's not obviously giving any game away,” Scarratt said. “I'm not going for four more years, so you probably do savour things a little bit more.

"One of the biggest things is seeing how far the game has come now. We stepped off the bus in Sunderland at the weekend and there were crowds everywhere.

“As we were walking up the steps into the stadium, I caught [defence coach] Sarah Hunter's eyes and we were both a bit like, 'wow!' We've obviously gone through the whole thing and seen it where sometimes people don't even realise that you have rocked up to a stadium or at the pitch.

“When we walked out for the anthem, I am just trying to take it all in because you don’t know when those moments will end.

"Watching the other games at the weekend, we knew we were going to be well supported as the home nation, as anyone would be.

“But actually to watch some of the other games and see the crowds maintained throughout the country, it made me proud to be English, the way we're getting amongst the whole tournament.”

Despite being in the twilight of her career, Scarratt is not usually one for looking back and is determined to force her way into John Mitchell’s starting team.

The centre came off the bench in Sunderland as England won 69-7 – a result that stretched their winning streak to 29 matches.

The veteran of the group, her role is as important off the pitch as it is on it.

She is the first England player to play in five World Cups and, while others in the squad have played in three and four, her experience is vital to steering England through the tournament - even if her celebratory singing needs some work.

“It wasn’t the best,” she said.

“You don't get away with anything in this place. When I was about to go onto the field and afterwards, everyone was incredibly nice about it and wanted to congratulate me and stuff, which is cool, as did lots of people there [Sunderland].

“But singing on the bus is the main way that we tend to mark occasions and that is what we did to celebrate.”

Scarratt will hope to have England’s backline in harmony on Saturday. She is likely to start against Samoa after head coach John Mitchell promised to ring the changes at Northampton’s Franklin’s Gardens.

The Pacific Islanders are the weakest team in England’s pool and a cricket score is once again likely, with a century of points not out of the question.

"I still love it, fundamentally,” she said.

“I always said as soon as I start to kind of drag my feet a bit with either training or whatever, then it's a clear sign to me.

“But I still feel like I can offer something, and I still want to challenge myself. If you think you've mastered things again, it's probably a good time to step aside, but there's still certain areas that I want to improve on."

With more than 400,000 tickets already sold, and prices starting at just £5 for children and £10 for adults, fans are encouraged to secure their tickets now via tickets.rugbyworldcup.com