Jade Elizabeth Konkel is a professional

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...

player who plays her club rugby with

Harlequins Women Harlequins Women, formerly known as Harlequins Ladies, are a women's rugby union club based in Guildford, Surrey, England and in Twickenham, Middlesex, England. They were founded in 1995 as the women's team of Harlequin F.C. and rebranded in 2 ...

in the Allianz Premier 15s. She is a Number 8 and has represented the Scottish national team since 2013.

Club career

After moving to Glasgow to attend university, Konkel played for Hillhead Jordanhill Rugby Football Club. It was while at the club that she made history by becoming Scottish Rugby's first full-time female player in the summer of 2016. Konkel joined French club Lille Metropole Rugby Club Villeneuvois (LMRCV) ahead of season 2017/18 while still remaining a Stage 3 supported player in Scottish Rugby's Academy. She left Lille for London-based side Harlequins ahead of the 2018/19 season and plays in the Tyrrells Premier 15s. Konkel is a Scottish Rugby 2021 supported player – a series of contracts designed to support players as the Scottish national side seeks to qualify for the 2021 World Cup in New Zealand.

International career

Konkel made her Scotland Women debut against England on 2 February 2013 when she came on as a replacement for Mary Lafaiki in the first game of the 2013 Women's Six Nations at Molesey Road, Surrey. Her first try for her country came in 2015 when she scored against

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

in the Six Nations clash at

Broadwood Stadium Broadwood Stadium is a multi-use community stadium and sports complex in the Westfield area of Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire. The stadium is currently the home of Cumbernauld Colts and Open Goal Broomhill of the Scottish Lowland Football Lea ...

. Konkel-Roberts was included in Scotlands squad for the 2021 World Cup in New Zealand (which took place in 2022 due to COVID), She started all three games

Playing style

Konkel is known as a hard carrying, physical player. In the opening rounds of the

2020 Six Nations The 2020 Six Nations Championship (known as the Guinness Six Nations for sponsorship reasons) was the 21st Six Nations Championship, the annual rugby union competition contested by the national teams of England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland ...

, she carried a combined 55 times (away to Ireland and versus

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

at BT Murrayfield) which was over 20 carries more than any other player over the first two rounds of the tournament

Education

Konkel graduated from

Glasgow Caledonian University Glasgow Caledonian University ( gd, Oilthigh Chailleannach Ghlaschu, ), informally GCU, Caledonian or Caley, is a public university in Glasgow, Scotland. It was formed in 1993 by the merger of The Queen's College, Glasgow (founded in 1875) and G ...

with a DipHE in Social Work in 2017

Other sports

Konkel played

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

for Highland Bears and had two seasons in the national league. She represented Scotland in

athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competi ...

for the army cadets and won two gold medals in 2008/09 for shot putt and discus respectively. In 2008, Konkel gained her black belt in the martial art Goshin-Ryu Kempo.

Personal life

Born in Inverness, and brought up on the

Black Isle The Black Isle ( gd, an t-Eilean Dubh, ) is a peninsula within Ross and Cromarty, in the Scottish Highlands. It includes the towns of Cromarty and Fortrose, and the villages of Culbokie, Jemimaville, Rosemarkie, Avoch, Munlochy, Tore, and ...

, Konkel grew up in a rugby family. She played with Inverness Craig Dunain Rugby Football Club, as did her mum, dad, and brothers. She is openly lesbian. Konkel is a vegan. She is also a qualified personal trainer, rugby coach, and gym instructor. Away from Rugby Konkel is a Fire Fighter in London

References

External links

profile
on Scottish Rugby {{DEFAULTSORT:Konkel, Jade 1993 births Living people Scotland women's international rugby union players Scottish female rugby union players Scottish LGBT sportspeople Scottish lesbians Lesbian sportswomen 21st-century Scottish LGBT people