Wales wing Lisa Neumann provides update on club rugby future

Lisa Neumann has confirmed she is no closer to establishing her club rugby future after leaving Harlequins.

The Wales wing spent two seasons with the JAECOO Premiership Women’s Rugby club and made just one appearance for the team last term as Ross Chisholm’s side missed out on the top four.

Instead a chunk of her match minutes came in the Celtic Challenge for Brython Thunder, before a hamstring injury against Scotland in Wales’ Guinness Women’s Six Nations opener ended her season.

“I would have loved to have stayed [at Harlequins] for the girls,” Neumann told BBC Sport. “This last year didn’t go as well as I’d hoped. There were a lot of changes in the environment so I think it was a good decision to go.

“Obviously I’ve not signed with a club yet. I’ve looked at all the offers and it’s not just a financial decision. I have to think about quality of life.”

Of course, there is potential that the 32-year-old could return to Wales next season. So far this offseason both Jasmine and Alisha Joyce have announced they will play in the Celtic Challenge full-time next season.

With the Welsh Rugby Union keen on a team joining PWR, a return home could have its benefits; although Neumann is intent on staying closer to her home in London.

“I played for Brython Thunder a bit last year and I did really love it,” Neumann said, “I don’t feel like I’m afraid to make any mistakes. But right now moving back home is a difficult decision, I’ve set up my life in London and it’s not easy to pack up.”

While her club rugby future is up in the air, the next steps of her international career could not be more certain.

Included in Sean Lynn’s extended squad for the WXV Global Series, Wales will play home fixtures against the USA Women’s Eagles and Springbok Women before a two-Test tour of Japan in October.

She said: “Obviously we want to come away with a win, that’s a given, but the biggest thing is coming back in after the game and making sure that we’ve delivered on everything that we’ve been working really hard on.”