England women’s Cumbrian lock Abbie Scott admits she loves the competitive nature of playing international rugby union.

Keswick’s Scott captained the Red Roses in their 57-5 win over USA last Friday as she won her 30th cap for her country.

As the 25-year-old reflected on her international career, she explained what she felt had helped her to become the player she is today.

"As a player, I’d say I definitely have got that [ability to] think inside of me," she said.

"I have to, if I am calling a line-up, because you have to have that side where you are thinking about the game, the analysis and the preparations.

"But when it comes down to it on the pitch, you have to do that graft and I will never shy about from that. I will try to be as direct as I can because I love a challenge.

"I love that competitiveness. I am so competitive. I take it as a real personal challenge [against] my opposite number, and I’m always looking to get the better of them."

Dumfries-born Scott, a former Keswick School and Sedbergh School student, also reflected on how she had come to make her senior debut for England - at the second attempt.

She explained in an England Rugby podcast: "I got the England call-up, initially, when I was 20.

"So, it was the end of my Under-20s year and I was at uni.

"I had a call from Graham Smith when I was in the library, which wasn’t often, and he said ‘Oh, we want you involved in the summer tour’ which was out in Uttar. I said ‘Well, I’m going to play Bournemouth sevens this weekend’. He said ‘No, you’re not’.

"But then I was playing some kind of touch [rugby], and I snapped my ACL, so I never got to go on that tour and I had to wait a year and a half.

"I got my fitness, went to Canada for a season and then got another call to say ‘You’re coming to train in camp’.

"Then, my first [senior] cap was against Wales in 2015.

"So, I was really excited to go out and do something with a successful England team, they had just won the World Cup.

"But we went out and lost against Wales for the first time in a long, long time.

"That was a bit of a rude awakening but I absolutely loved it."

This Sunday, England play Canada at Castle Park.