Loughborough Lightning and England centre Emily Scarratt has shown her creativity during the coronavirus lockdown by utilising equipment from her family farm to keep up her training.

Speaking to Loughborough University as part of its #TrainatHome campaign, she said: “I’m pretty lucky that my family farm is ten minutes away and I’ve been able to build a gym there.

"I’ve got two big round bales as my squat racks, two stacks of pallets with a barbell across the top as a pull-up bar and some tyres – all the classic farm stuff.

“It’s quite ‘spit and sawdust’ and it’s not the most glamorous of gyms but it’s definitely serving a purpose.”

Scarratt is looking to build on an exceptional 2019 after being named World Rugby Player of the Year.

But with the current Premier 15s season being ruled null and void, the 30-year-old Red Roses international could be made to wait until September before she gets back out on the pitch.

As a result, she realises the importance of staying busy and keeping morale high within the team, despite not physically being together.

“I’ve been working on the farm a little bit as it’s providing an important service at the moment," she added. "My days are definitely a bit different now but to feel like you’re being useful is quite nice.

“As a squad, we’re got loads of things going on – quizzes, workouts, challenges. Within this we’ve got mini teams set up with the squad, helping keep motivation high and keeping communications regular.”