By HQ
March 26 2023

Hunter left the field for one final time during the Red Roses’ 58-7 victory over Scotland in her hometown of Newcastle. She retires as England’s most-capped player in history having made 141 appearances in a career spanning 16 years.  

Newcastle on Saturday 25th March 2023. Sarah Hunter of England arrives at Kingston Park for her final appearance for England - All Pictures Alamy

Kingston Park rose to a standing ovation when the announcement came out over the stadium sound system on the 60-minute mark, in a moment Middleton described as “iconic”.

“It was a pretty special moment” he said. “I think anyone who was at the game can feel privileged to be there for one of the most iconic moments in sport.

“Sarah has been the face of the Red Roses for the last ten years, and she’s been such an incredible leader of the game. Everything Sarah does is consistent. She’s never trained poorly, never played poorly. She gives everything she’s got into everything she does.  “Sarah is remarkable and she’s England’s greatest player, without a shadow of a doubt.”

Emotions were running high before the game had even kicked off as Hunter lined up for the national anthem for the final time.

She said: “The anthem was just unbelievable, singing it -or trying to sing it - one last time.

“It was an incredible day and it’s what dreams are made of. Not many people get to finish on their terms and I’ve done it in the best way I could possibly have imagined, in my home city where it all began.”

• Red Roses v Scotland - Match Report