"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."
"You can either roll over or come back fighting ... those were my two options. Am I done? They don't want me any more ... am I finished? I decided I wasn't done and had so much more to give. I'm really glad I chose that path. It was really tough at the time but it's definitely made me a better player, a better coach and a better teammate."
"How England ever felt they could do without their feisty No 9 remains baffling. Last weekend in the Ashton Gate rain she looked as fit and alert as ever, albeit behind an ascendant pack of forwards. The huddle microphones constantly catch her exhorting teammates to run straight and stay focused. England, simply put, look a happier team when she's around."
Natasha Hunt is a 36-year-old England scrum-half who was dropped from the Red Roses three years ago and transformed that setback into sustained motivation. She chose to fight back rather than retire and credits the experience with making her a better player, coach and teammate. Hunt brings energy, leadership and tactical intelligence in matches, frequently urging teammates to run straight and stay focused. She appears fit and alert on the field, boosts team morale, and developed her competitive streak growing up in the Forest of Dean after switching from netball to rugby when height proved a disadvantage.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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