Scotland great Konkel to end playing career

Harlequins Women’s captain Jade Konkel, the former Scotland forward, will end her playing career at the conclusion of the 2025-26 season.

The 32-year-old – who won 74 caps for her country and played in two Rugby World Cups – joined Quins in 2018 and was made captain in 2023.

The back row made history in 2016 when she became the first woman to sign a professional contract with Scottish Rugby.

Konkel, who has balanced her playing career with a job as a firefighter in London, was named Women’s Player of the Season at Quins in 2022-23 and 2024-25.

She made her Scotland debut as a 19-year-old against England in the 2013 Six Nations and stepped down from international duty after the 2025 World Cup.

“When I arrived at Harlequins in 2018, I didn’t come with a plan for how long I’d stay. I came with a love for rugby and a hope that I’d find a place where I could grow,” she said.

“Very quickly, this club became my home: a place that held me through every version of myself over the years and I could never have imagined how much this club would come to mean to me.