It is a quiet midweek afternoon on the outskirts of Bristol and, up to now, Natasha “Mo” Hunt has been her normal upbeat self. England’s scrum‑half has been discussing any number of topics, from her love of rugby’s tactical nuances to her croissant‑loving fans, with the easy confidence of someone relishing every second of this Women’s Rugby World Cup.
Her sparkly eyed positivity is such that it’s easy to forget she has had to escape the heart of darkness to be here. Three years ago, on the eve of the last World Cup, Hunt was axed from the Red Roses squad and big knockout games such as Saturday’s semi-final against France now mean that little bit more. “When you get hurt that bad it’s never going to go away,” she says softly. “You’re always going to have a little scar.”
