'Whatever happens, my heart's very full': Konkel on retirement and Scotland situation

“People’s words mean so much to me. I’m very fortunate I get to see out this season alongside incredible people.”

These were the words of retiring Harlequins captain Jade Konkel as she spoke to TNT Sports on Saturday after the news of her retirement at the end of the season was announced earlier in the week.

The 32-year-old is adamant this is her time to hang up her boots after one final push towards the end of the season as Quins, currently sat in fourth place, attempt to qualify for the play-offs and potentially reach the PWR final being hosted at their home ground, the Stoop.

Konkel has had a long playing career filled with highs and lows for both Scotland and Harlequins.

“I’ve had such a great career, I’ve achieved more than I could possibly imagine and I just feel the time is right and my body is really looking forward to a rest,” summed up Konkel.

“My body is sore, my body is tired, and I need a few things fixed up, which obviously will take me out for X amount of months at the end of the season, and you never know how that return would be or how you’d come back.

“I’ve always said since the start of my journey, because I’ve seen a lot of people before me that never got this opportunity, so as much as I can control, I will, and if that means finishing on my terms, then I’ll do everything I can to do that.

“But not even just that, I want to be finished playing. I want to finish playing well. I don’t want to get to the point where I drop my standards and then I’m disappointed with my performances and then it just becomes a multitude of things.

“You want to make sure that, you’re finishing good, you’re finishing strong, and for me, that time just feels like now.

“It’s obviously going to be an emotional time to hang up my boots, but I’m kind of glad the news has been put out quite early because then it’s like I can really just enjoy these last few months.

“Whatever happens between now and then, my heart’s very full, which is a really good place to be in. It’s going to be a whirlwind couple of months, but there’s no place I’d rather be than here.”

Konkel has not only excelled on the rugby pitch as a hard-hitting, hard-carrying forward, she has also trained as a fire fighter in the London Fire Brigade, a dual career which is just as demanding and unrelenting with shift work and studying for qualifications.

“I’m absolutely loving being in the Fire Service, newly promoted, and I’ve done some new qualifications for some of the specialist trucks and I think that’s a really exciting prospect.”

Playing matches Konkel admits, are what she will miss most, the match day experience where you put your body on the line for your team mates.

“It’s those moments in the changing room that only you and your teammates really get to experience- the emotional side of that is so, so powerful and that’s something that you just can’t find elsewhere, because you are getting ready to go to battle for each other.

“I think one of the most special moments is when you’re prepping, you’re gearing up, ready to run out with the squad and that is something that’s definitely going to be missed and then obviously just playing the game as well. I absolutely love the physicality of rugby, it doesn’t matter how sore my body is, I still love running into people and I will probably have to fill a void in some way, because you can’t just run into people in the street!”

 

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Having joined the PWR back in 2018, Konkel has seen first-hand the growth of the league since it’s second ever season.

“Seeing the support that’s come in has been absolutely incredible, the media around the league, how much it’s grown, how many fans are now in the stands. Years ago back in the day people had barely  heard of the English league but now it’s renowned for being one of the, if not the best in the world.

“I’m so, so chuffed that big players like Aoife Wafer for example has come across to the PWR- I’m not gonna lie, I grafted on that for about a year and a half to get her to come, but we got there eventually…”

Throughout her career Konkel has not had it her own way, suffering hardships. Scotland missed out on the 2017 World Cup due to poor performances and more recently Konkel was a prominent member of the Scotland squad who publicly criticised Scotland Rugby for their dealing of the women’s contracts in the build up to and during the 2025 World Cup, saying making the quarter-finals against England was through ‘no help from the SRU’.

Konkel was also one of many in Scotland’s 32-player World Cup squad not to be offered a new contract by the union despite being named Harlequins Women’s Player of the Season for the 2024-25 season in the months leading up to the tournament.

The BBC recently published a story around the Scotland Women’s team and how they were treated around their contracts, and the knock on effect to their mental health which Konkel described as ‘upsetting’ to read.

“I got it (the article) sent to me by a few people. It was a tough read, it was emotional. And it breaks my heart when people don’t feel valued or are hurting. I’m friends with everyone in that squad so to know people are feeling like that is really upsetting.

“I just hope that these girls get fair support and it’s not just expecting them to sacrifice because that’s the way it’s been for so many years, times have changed now and I just think they deserve the full support.

“I’ve left that environment, but I’ll still be those girls’ number one fan through everything and I’ll always want the best for them. Hopefully, we can keep pushing that forward and they’ll get the support they deserve.”

Despite leaving the Scotland set up after the World Cup explaining that a six minute conversation with the higher ups in Scotland Rugby effectively ended her 13 year international career, Konkel knows it can be a different story with Harlequins, and isn’t discounting a dream ending.

“We know the PWR finals are at the Stoop this year, so I’m fantasising right now about us lifting that trophy, but obviously there’s still a lot of time to go before that!

“That’s definitely something that’s a strong aim for us and that really would be the fairy tale ending to my career.”