‘An inspirational leader who loved her sport’: Sarah Hunter pays tribute to Queen
The England rugby union captain said the team were ‘grieving for a woman who has done so much for this country’
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.England rugby union captain Sarah Hunter has described the Queen as “an inspirational leader”.
Hunter paid tribute as the Red Roses squad continued preparations for their final World Cup warm-up game against Wales in Bristol on Wednesday.
England will head to the tournament in New Zealand next month as favourites to be crowned world champions.
“Much like the whole nation and around the world, it was a deeply moving day when we learnt of the news that the Queen had sadly passed away,” Hunter said.
“She has been such a mainstay within the whole of the squad, an inspirational leader and a female leader at that. She has given her life to head this country.
“It was very noticeable coming into camp the following day that there was definitely a sombre note and that a big loss had happened.
“While we are not her direct family, the team is still grieving for a woman who has done so much for this country who sadly is no longer here.
“What we can do over the next few days is to pay tribute to a woman who loved her sport.
“The timing of the fact that it’s us versus Wales is a significant moment, so hopefully we will be able to pay our respects in the utmost way for someone who has done so much for this country.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments