'There are a lot of gay women in rugby... there are a lot of straight women in rugby'
As an openly gay woman in rugby and serving firefighter, Jade Konkel-Roberts finds it amusing that her veganism ruffles more feathers than her sexuality.
Scotland’s first professionally contracted player is currently recovering from ankle surgery but is targeting a return for the business end of the Six Nations.
Once that is complete, her attention will immediately turn to Harlequins’ Game Changer Pride fixture against Wasps at Twickenham Stoop on May 13, an annual event staged to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community in sport.
Konkel-Roberts values the inclusive message it sends out in a game where she has always been made to feel welcome.
“I get more things said to me about being a vegan than about being gay! It’s just funny,” she told the PA news agency recently.
“You get a lot of stick in a rugby environment being a vegan. Who knows, maybe the vegan life will also be normalised one day!
“I’ve never faced a single issue in rugby for being gay. It’s not really a question either. In every team I have played for there has been a very even split between people who are straight and people who identify otherwise.
“It’s never a thing. It’s ‘do you have a partner?’ and the reply is like ‘yeah I have a boyfriend or I have girlfriend’.
“The fact it’s so normalised is great. That’s not to say it’s like that everywhere, but from most of the stories I’ve heard it’s always been really positive.”
Konkel-Roberts married her partner Helen Roberts in Lancashire last year and although now comfortable speaking publicly about her sexuality, her early days growing up in the Scottish Highlands were filled with uncertainty.
Reassurance came in the arms of a sport that has seen her evolve into a 56-cap international and key member of Harlequins’ back row.
“I didn’t come out until I was 18. I’m from quite a small place so it was a terrifying thing to do when I was younger. I tried to convince myself I was otherwise,” the 29-year-old said.
“When I moved to Glasgow and joined a rugby team, there was a sense of belonging and I didn’t have to hide who I am or not see who I am as a normal thing.
“You didn’t have to make a huge statement, but also you didn’t have to hide it which was really cool because it felt more normalised.
“Women’s rugby is fine as it is, it doesn’t need to be more gay or more straight. You are accepted as you are. There are a lot of gay women in rugby, just like there are a lot of straight women in rugby.
“More can potentially be done in the men’s game, however. That’s a whole different ball game.
“We’re a lot more open about it but that’s less the case on the men’s side and maybe that stops people coming out. As the years go by I think that will change because it’s being normalised all the time.”
Remarkably, Konkel-Roberts plays rugby at the highest level of the women’s game while working full-time for the London Fire Brigade, whom she joined in 2021.
On one occasion she completed a night shift at 930am, drove to Northampton to play for Harlequins against Loughborough Lightning and then drove back to start another shift.
Both professions provide the physicality and camaraderie she gravitates towards and all of her training was required when called to the east London village of Wennington during last summer’s heat wave.
“It was 42 degrees, everything was on fire – and I mean everything! There were houses in front of me on fire, a car to my right on fire, grass behind me on fire,” she said.
“Resources were really scarce so you just had to make do with what you have. We were in PPE and had breathing apparatus on at one point. That in 42 degree heat on top of the physical activity was pretty challenging.
“We did what we could. No lives were lost but people lost their homes which was heartbreaking for those families, but we managed to mitigate a lot of the damage, which was really good.
“On a rugby pitch everyone has a role and it’s exactly the same on the incident ground. Both are team environment where you have to have each other’s backs.”
::Tickets are available for the Game Changer fixture. Just £5 for U18s and £10 for adults.
Comments on RugbyPass
The Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
3 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
3 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
30 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
3 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
30 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
30 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
30 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to comments