Women’s Six Nations Grand Slam winners Natasha Hunt and Emily Scarratt are among the first batch of players to be awarded England women XVs contracts for 2019.
The duo starred as England took the 2017 title with a spotless record, with Scarratt notching 14-points as England completed the sweep thanks to a 34-7 win over Ireland in the final game of the Championship.
The pair are joined by Jess Breach in making the move across from the sevens programme, with the remaining 25 full-time contracts to be handed out on 3 January, along with seven Elite Player Squad places.
And England women head coach Simon Middleton is delighted to have already bolstered his side’s ranks ahead of the fast-approaching Women’s Six Nations Championship.
“These world class players bring a wealth of talent and experience into the XVs programme,” he said.
“We know that it can take time to transition back but we look forward to seeing them in camp in the new year, when we will be in a position to announce the full squad.
“This is a really exciting year for England Women and we can’t wait to get underway in January ahead of the 2019 Six Nations.”
In addition to committing their 2019 to the national XVs set-up, the deals see the trio joining up with Tyrrells Premier 15s club sides for their domestic rugby.
Scarratt is set to join Loughborough Lightning, while rising star Breach returns to fellow title contenders Harlequins and Hunt will feature for Gloucester-Hartpury.
The England women’s squad will meet up for their first camp on 4 January as they prepare for their Women’s Six Nations opener in Dublin against Ireland on February 1.
