England’s Emily Scarratt targets Six Nations after neck surgery but ‘not taking anything for granted’

Emily Scarratt is targeting a Six Nations comeback with England after returning to rugby for the first time since neck surgery in early 2023.

Centre Scarratt played 47 minutes for Loughborough Lightning against Bristol in Premiership Women’s Rugby on Friday.

The 34-year-old is now hopeful of adding to her 108 caps for the Red Roses when England’s Six Nations campaign starts against Italy on March 24.

Scarratt told the BBC: “Hopefully I am fit and back eligible for the Six Nations campaign. I love playing for my country and I have been doing so for some many years.

“I would be lying if I said I don’t want to get back in that shirt but I am not taking anything for granted. It would mean a lot, but I am not trying to think about it too much.

“I haven’t played for a long time and don’t have as many game minutes and training minutes as a lot of the girls. A lot of them have been playing really well consistently for the last year or so.”

Scarratt, a former World Player of the Year and eight-time Six Nations winner, says she has spoken with new England head coach John Mitchell, who has succeeded Simon Middleton in the role.

She now hopes to play a major role for his side before potentially finishing her career at the home World Cup in 2025.

Scarratt added: “He [Mitchell] has checked in throughout this whole process, which has been really nice, to just see how I am getting on.

“He called me before the first game and said go out and play. That was really nice. I am really looking forward to developing that relationship.

“If I make 2025 we will see where we are at,” she added. “If it is not 2025, [retirement] won’t be a huge amount of time after, I don’t think.”

Get Sky Sports on WhatsApp

You can now receive messages and alerts for the latest breaking sports news, analysis, in-depth features and videos from our dedicated WhatsApp channel. Find out more here…