[1] Burns was also appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2005 Birthday Honours for services to sport.

[2][3] One season after retiring from the England squad, Burns was asked to captain the first ever Women's World XV for their 2 test series in New Zealand.

[5] As of December 2005[update], Burns is a teacher at Range High School, she stopped teaching in 2016.

[6] In July 2019, she was made an Honorary Doctor of Science (HonDSc) by Edge Hill University.

[7] The annual Women's County Championship and the tournament winners' Cup is named in honour of Burns.