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• England’s Zach Mercer installs oxygen chamber at home to combat ankle injury

  England international Zach Mercer has bought an oxygen chamber for his home as part of the recovery process from an ankle injury.

  Mercer, who joined Gloucester from Montpellier earlier this year, has not played since late October, missing the Gallagher Premiership club’s last four games.

  But the 26-year-old number eight is leaving no stone unturned, and he could be back in action sooner rather than later.

  Oxygen chamber use can assist in helping damaged tissue heal, and Gloucester head coach George Skivington said: “Zach is doing everything he can. He has bought an oxygen chamber for his house.

  “It is out of Zach’s own pocket and his own commitment to getting fit.

  “He has definitely shown his level of commitment and professionalism over the last five weeks in how he is approaching his rehab.

  “He is really motivated, he is a very smart rugby guy and he wants to be the best.

  “It has not surprised me, but it is still nice to see when someone you have invested in has that level of commitment and is that hungry to get back.”

  Mercer, flanker Ruan Ackermann and fly-half Adam Hastings are among the Gloucester players currently sidelined.

  But Skivington says there are “positive shoots” in terms of them returning to action as Gloucester target overturning poor Premiership results.

  They have lost their last five league games, dropping to ninth in the Premiership after an encouraging start produced victories over Harlequins and Newcastle.

  They face west country rivals Bristol at Ashton Gate on Saturday, and Skivington added: “I would take a win however it came. It is not the start we wanted to the season.

  “I think the frustration for us as a group is that every game we have done some things really well and we have just dropped off in other areas. At the back end of games we have had some poor moments.

  “We are not making any excuses, we don’t come in and try to dance around it. We are very honest as a group.

  “I understand my job is to take the brunt of it, and I always will. I would never hide away from anything.

  “I just stay focused, keep motivating the boys, keep trying to push the team on and I am confident it will come together.

  “We’ve had lots of bumps and good times as a group over the last couple of years, so we are a pretty tight unit, and in these hard times that really shines through.

  “No-one puts more pressure on me than me. You live and breathe the job. The pressure doesn’t really change because it is always there, and if you don’t want that on you then don’t be a director of rugby.”

• Former England rugby captain Sarah Hunter enjoying ‘not feeling beaten up’

  Former England Women’s rugby union captain Sarah Hunter has said she is enjoying no longer “feeling beaten up and battered” in her retirement, as she was made a CBE for services to the sport.

  The 38-year-old – England’s most capped player – said it is an “uncomfortable” feeling to be singled out for praise because rugby is the “ultimate team sport”.

  Hunter, who won 138 caps and captained her side at the 2021 Rugby World Cup, was handed her CBE medal by the Prince of Wales at an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace on Monday.

  Hunter – who made her England debut in 2007 and was named World Rugby Women’s Player of the Year in 2016 – announced her retirement from international rugby earlier this year.

  She has started a new chapter of her career as a coach with the England team, something she discussed with William.

  She told the PA news agency: “He asked me what I’m doing now since I stopped playing.

  “England Rugby have got me back in coaching to try and help the next generation of players come through.”

  Hunter and William also discussed the Princess of Wales’s role as a patron of England Rugby, and the time two England players “threw her up in the line-out” during a visit, she said.

  Asked about the secret to her long career, she said: “It’s probably just hanging on in there.

  “As you get older it’s definitely around looking after your body. I was just driven to always be better every time I came off the field.

  “I’ve been part of so many wonderful teams, it’s pretty hard to leave and say goodbye, but I guess everything has to end at some point.”

  She continued: “It’s such an honour. I started playing rugby for the love of it and never did I ever imagine that I’d be honoured in this way.

  “It’s kind of strange for me because rugby is the ultimate team sport, so being recognised for an individual award is fairly uncomfortable.

  “But it certainly ranks right up there in my achievements, I’m immensely proud.”

  Asked if she was going to miss playing rugby, Hunter said: “Do you know what, I’m not. I actually enjoy not feeling beaten up and battered.

  “I think that’s a really good sign that it was time to leave. I miss the camaraderie but I don’t miss being out there on the pitch.

  “England Rugby have got me back in coaching to try and help the next generation of players come through.

  “I’m starting on a new journey.”

• Kevin Sinfield says time is of the essence as he prepares to run for MND again

  Kevin Sinfield has stressed there is no time to waste as he prepares to embark on his latest “crackers” fundraising quest in aid of research into Motor Neurone Disease next week.

  The former Leeds Rhinos star, who will set off another series of seven back-to-back ultra-marathons from Headingley Stadium on December 1, remains frustrated by a perceived lack of urgency on behalf of the Government to fulfill a pledge to commit £50million to fighting the disease.

  The 43-year-old Sinfield and his team have raised over £8m from a number of endurance events which started with their first ‘7 in 7 challenge’ in 2020.

  Sinfield said: “It’s really important that the money is released as promised and used in the best possible way so that we can find a cure.

  “People with Motor Neurone Disease don’t have time to wait. We all want things done now, we all want change now, we all want our great scientists across the UK to work together to find a cure, so there is some frustration.

  “We know the statistics from diagnosis are that 50 per cent die within the first two years. People with MND don’t have time on their hands, so we’ve got to shift this quickly. As we saw with Covid, if you throw money at something you can get a cure.”

  “(Rob) thinks I’m crackers but he fully gets it. He’s with us 100% in spirit, and he’ll be there at the start and the finish. He’s such an inspirational friend and I’m delighted to be doing it again.”

  Sinfield admits he will embarking on his latest quest a little “under-cooked” due to the tight turn-around following his return from France where he was working as a defensive coach for England’s rugby union World Cup squad.

  Having insisted prior to a similar epic challenge last year that his running days would soon be a thing of the past, he revealed his ex-team-mate, good friend and inspiration, MND sufferer Rob Burrow, described him as “crackers” for resolving to put himself through it once again.

  But Sinfield, whose route this year will include trips to Birmingham, Brighton, Cardiff and Edinburgh, as well as Dublin for the first time, said he never considered hanging up his running shoes while a cure remains out of reach.

  “There are 100,000 reasons why we shouldn’t go again but there is one big reason why we should and that is to continue representing this beautiful community,” added Sinfield.

  “The messages, the emails, the face to face meetings – on average three times a day someone will stop me and tell me someone they know has got MND or has passed, and they want us to keep going.

  “The awareness is crucial and will make such a difference to finding a cure for this disease. It’s shown me why I’m here on this earth, and that’s to try and help. I don’t think there’s a greater gift.

  “(Rob) thinks I’m crackers but he fully gets it. He’s with us 100 per cent in spirit, and he’ll be there at the start and the finish. He’s such an inspirational friend and I’m delighted to be doing it again.”

  Following his first quest of seven marathons in seven days in 2020, Sinfield ran 101 miles in under 24 hours from Welford Road in Leicester to Headingley in 2021. Last year’s challenge ended on the pitch at half-time during the men’s World Cup final between Australia and New Zealand at Old Trafford.

  The Government has been approached for comment about Sinfield’s concerns.