Sarah Hunter checks every box and then some when it comes to what it takes to be a Red Rose, the qualities and attributes required.

Sarah will be the center of attention again this week as England prepares for their World Cup quarter-final match against Australia, where she will become the country's most-capped player with her 138th appearance - and rightly so.

I've known Sarah since we were 14 years old, and she hasn't changed much in over 20 years. She still plays with the same incredible work ethic she did all those years ago, and she is just an incredible person, very grounded, gets on with her job, and looks out for others. I can't think of anyone more deserving or hardworking to take over for Rochelle Clark.

I first met her when we were teenagers playing rugby league for Gateshead U14s. We then played each other frequently at county level, when she represented Northumberland and I represented Durham. We reunited for our north east regional side when we were around 17 years old, and our careers ran almost parallel from then until my retirement, during which she has maintained her position at the absolute top of the game.

I first met her when we were teenagers playing rugby league for Gateshead U14s. We then played each other frequently at county level, when she represented Northumberland and I represented Durham. We reunited for our north east regional side when we were around 17 years old, and our careers ran almost parallel from then until my retirement, during which she has maintained her position at the absolute top of the game.

Sarah and I would go on to make our Test debuts against Scotland in the first Six Nations match in 2007, and seven years later, we would win the World Cup together. I always think about how fortunate I was as captain to have Sarah as my vice-captain in 2014; I could not have done it without her. She was so focused on supporting me, probably at the expense of herself, that she went on to become England's most capped captain.

That, in my opinion, is just one of the many reasons she deserves to lift that trophy in a few weeks. It would be the ideal way to recognize not only what she's accomplished in the game, but also all of her hard work and the selfless individual she is in a team sport.

Being a captain can be lonely, but knowing Sarah was always there for me and had my back throughout the build-up to the 2014 World Cup and all the way through to lifting the trophy was incredible. There's a photo of myself and Sarah locking arms on the pitch after our final victory over Canada, and if a picture is worth a thousand words, it perfectly captures how we felt at the time.

As fly-half, I was always in the thick of things, but there were also experienced players around me like Tamara Taylor, Amber Reed, and Rachael Burford who helped Sarah and I lead. Sarah went on to succeed me as England captain, and she has done an excellent job of utilizing the experienced players around her, including Emily Scarratt, Abbie Ward, and Natasha Hunt. Sarah would be the first to admit that she has grown with experience and is more at ease with the type of captain she has become.

When you watch her now, you can see how she leads and how comfortable she is with what she needs to do. She plays to her strengths in the captaincy role while working with her leadership team and those around her, and it is difficult to imagine how anyone could do it better.

Sarah has also had to deal with changes in the game in recent years, including the transition from amateur to professional. You have to keep reinventing yourself, and Sarah has done so with the way England has wanted to play and the competition for the No. 8 jersey. Sarah hasn't been untouchable; she's fought off challenges from a number of talented players, including Poppy Cleall, and she'd still be one of the first names on Simon Middleton's team sheet.

Of course, like any other amateur player, there were sacrifices to be made along the way. Those were your choices for elite sport and representing your country while working full-time. Whether it's missing weddings and christenings because you're always playing on weekends, having to respond to most invitations with 'I'd love to but I've got rugby commitments,' or asking your family to plan major events around your England calendar.

That's the beauty of Sarah reaching that record cap: she's played and led in both eras, from the amateur days of playing alongside working to the fully professional era. Sarah's ability to adapt to those changes and thrive is a testament to her and the person she is.

Sarah is undeniably motivated by the heartbreak of losing the 2017 World Cup final to the Black Ferns, in which we led 17-5 at the end of the first half before succumbing 41-32. She blames herself heavily for the loss in Belfast, and it is this that keeps the fires burning as she seeks to right those wrongs in New Zealand. England has a great chance of winning the World Cup on November 12th, and if they do, Sarah Hunter will finally have the title of "World Cup winning captain" that she so richly deserves.

On Sunday morning at 1.30 a.m., England will face Australia in their Rugby World Cup quarter-final.