Rugby: England's World Cup winning captain Katy McLean says women's sport is cool

England Women’s rugby captain Katy McLean says the abundance of female sporting talent in this country has made women’s sport ‘cool’.

McLean skippered England to World Cup glory in France over the summer after successive final defeats to New Zealand in the three tournaments prior.

And the fly-half is proud she has joined a growing list of female role-models in this country and is keen to continue inspiring the next generation of sporting talent.

“When I was growing up it was different I wanted to be Johnny Wilkinson but women’s sport is actually cool and girls are now looking up to female role models and thinking they want to be like them,” McLean told Sky Sports News HQ.

“Being involved in women’s sport right now is amazing and the London 2012 Olympics was definitely a massive turning point.

“Look at the recent success of the women’s footballers, the cricketers, the athletes, the rowers and now the rugby girls. It’s such a broad mix of successful females that are constantly around throughout the year.

“You’re not just waiting till the athletics season or the football season or the rugby season there is a constant stream and the more that continues to happen the more we can  inspire a new generation by just doing what we do. That’s pretty cool in itself to be honest.”

McLean and her team-mates are in contention for the Team of the Year accolade at the Sunday Times and Sky Sportswomen of the Year Awards which take place on Wednesday, live on Sky Sports 1.

She says the team are honoured to be nominated for the award alongside rowers Helen Glover and Heather Stanning, Team GB’s 4 x100 relay team and the England cricket side.

“There is a bit of a cultural shift in women’s sport and it has now got credibility,” McLean said.

It’s all about profile and the only way you build that is with things like the Sunday Times and Sky Sportswomen of the Year Awards which give women’s sport greater credibility by endorsing it. 

“The more profile that gets is phenomenal and the fact that we are in the mix for the Team of the Year award is absolutely brilliant.

“I think it’s fantastic that there are so many disciplines and sports represented in the nominations. It’s right across the board and really is a testament of how far women’s sport has come since the Olympics.”

Sportswomen is live on Sky Sports News HQ on Tuesday at 1130 and repeated at 7pm on Sky Sports 4 that evening before becoming available On Demand.