Former England women’s captain Sarah Hunter has been awarded and CBE and professional referee, Sara Cox an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours for services to rugby.
Both women have been trailblazers in the women’s game, Sarah having recently retired as England’s most capped player and Sara a pioneer for female match officials, as the world’s first professional female referee when centrally contracted by the RFU in 2016 and the first female to referee a Premiership Rugby league and cup game.
Source: England Rugby
Sarah Hunter
Hunter, who is to join the England women’s coaching set-up, captained her country from 2015-2023 having made her England debut in 2007.
She was part of the Red Roses’ 2014 World Cup-winning squad and led her team to finals in 2017 and 2022. The North Shields-born forward has won 10 Six Nations titles and nine grand slams during her career.
The No. 8 was awarded an MBE for services to rugby in 2015 and became World Rugby Women’s Player of the Year a year later.
Sarah Hunter said: “I feel very honoured to have been awarded a CBE. My decision to retire this year as England captain was a really tough one as I loved every minute of it, but I am so proud to have represented my country and worked alongside some inspirational people. Rugby for women and girls is in such a different place to when I first started playing and it’s been so exciting to be part of that change and growth.
“I’m really looking forward to the next phase of my career as a coach with England Rugby and helping to share my knowledge and develop Red Roses of the future.”
Cox has officiated at three Rugby World Cups: as an assistant referee in 2014, as a referee in 2017 and the delayed 2021 event held in New Zealand in 2022, where she was part of an all-female officiating line-up.
Her international career has also seen her referee in two Olympics, initially as the only English referee for rugby sevens at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, followed by Tokyo where she refereed the gold medal match. She has also refereed at the Commonwealth Games, Six Nations and international Test matches.
Sara Cox said: “I feel very privileged to have been awarded an MBE. Refereeing has given me some amazing opportunities and, if in doing my job to the best of my ability, I am able to motivate and inspire others to give officiating a go then that’s an added bonus.
“With significant growth in the numbers of women and girls playing rugby in England there is no better time to get involved in the game as a referee. I’d encourage everyone to give it a go.”
With thanks to the RFU
