Red Roses Scrum-Half Natasha Hunt Addresses Fan Demands Post-Match

England scrum-half Natasha Hunt has stated that the Red Roses are finding it increasingly difficult to meet the growing number of fan requests for selfies and autographs after matches, attributing this to the team's significant success and expansion over the past decade.

Hunt, who debuted for England in 2011, recalled a time when the team played in front of crowds of only a few hundred. Even in 2019, a Women's Six Nations game against France set a record with 4,674 attendees for a standalone Red Roses match outside of a Rugby World Cup.

More recently, over 50,000 tickets have been sold for an upcoming match against New Zealand at Twickenham's Allianz Stadium. This follows a world-record sell-out crowd of 81,885 who witnessed the Red Roses defeat Canada to become world champions at the same venue a year prior.

"I didn't think ever in my lifetime I would be in a position where we'd get crowds the size that we do," Hunt told Rugby Union Weekly. "It is unbelievable and we definitely don't take it lightly. We're so appreciative and we absolutely adore our fans and love them and what they do for us and have done for us."

However, Hunt acknowledged the current challenge. "But I do think we're in a tricky space at the minute where there's that expectation that everyone has to have a photo or a signature or something," she said. "Sometimes you go and you see people and they will say 'can you go get Ellie [Kildunne]? Can you go get Meg [Jones]?' And I really can't because they're probably being bombarded by 700 people over there."

She added that some players have received direct messages from fans expressing disappointment, which affects the team. "Some of the girls have had DMs saying 'it would have made our day, we're disappointed' and it breaks your heart because you want everyone to have the best time ever."