Scottish Rugby performance director David Nucifora says that delivering the news to 74-capper Jade Konkel that she was not going to receive a new contract post-Women’s Rugby World Cup was “handled the best way possible”.
And he believes that there “is a level of respect” between the governing body and members of the national squad despite inferences to the contrary having come from some in the latter group recently.
Following Scotland’s quarter-final loss to England at the showpiece event on September 14, 31-year-old Harlequins back-rower Konkel from the Black Isle, who had announced her upcoming international retirement two days earlier, did not hold back in the media mixed zone in Bristol when speaking to members of the press.
Before the tournament, skipper Rachel Malcolm had said that the build-up had been “very disruptive”.
That was due to the timing of the news that head coach Bryan Easson was leaving post-event dropping in July and contract negotiations being tricky between players and the governing body right up until they departed for England.
“They [Scottish Rugby] made our build-up to this really challenging, mentally and emotionally,” Konkel said at Ashton Gate.
“I myself wasn’t offered a contract and I want to finish on my terms. If I could play longer, I’d have loved to have played longer.
“I’ve come off the back of an incredible ‘Quins season, getting player of the year. I feel I’ve got a lot to give in my performances.
“It’s a business at the end of the day, but the thing that doesn’t sit well with me was the fact that it was a six-minute conversation [to tell her she would not be contracted going forward] after 13 years of service.”
Asked at the time if she had a message for Scottish Rugby, Konkel said: “Respect us. Know that this is a programme that we pour our life into.”
In reply, speaking as the governing body announced their new-look annual contracting model for the 2025/26 season for the women’s game, Nucifora said on Thursday: “I don’t know what the right length of time is to tell someone they’re not receiving a contract, whether it’s seven minutes or 10 minutes.
“There’s a way of doing it and we felt it was handled the best way possible.
“That’s professional sport, there’s disappointment all the time.
“When the players are told whether they have contracts or not, they’re not long conversations.
“Once you hear there is a negative response there’s not a lot of value in trying to have any type of long conversation about why. Contracting is different from selection and there’s a lot of different things that come into play regarding making the decisions and where the players fit into either a short, medium or long-term view on the game.
“Each one of those decisions is different for all the players. You don’t tend to go through that explanation with them at the time. Over time, absolutely [you do explain] and there’s been multiple different conversations and communications that have happened.”
When asked whether he personally had spoken to Konkel, who had been in and around the Scotland set up since 2012, made her debut in 2013 and was made the first fully professional Scottish female player in 2016, since the World Cup exit, Nucifora said: “I personally haven’t but other people [from the Scottish Rugby performance department] have.”
Scottish Rugby CEO Alex Williamson added: “Obviously Jade Konkel is a legend of the Scottish game and I’m sure a future Hall of Famer, but clearly the conversations when you’re telling someone something they don’t want or hope to hear is challenging.
“None of us enter into these conversations with a view that we want to be causal about the emotions of any individual.
“When we need to make decisions for the advancement of the game for all of the girls and women who are playing rugby in Scotland right now, there are challenging conversations and disappointed athletes, but we need to reflect on the benefits and positives that are coming going forward.”
Jade Konkel is pictured speaking to the media in the mixed zone after the recent England game
From August 7 until September 30, GH Media will be following the Scotland World Cup journey all of the way. We will be at all of the Scotland matches down south and will be bringing you all of the interviews and news from camp as well as taking a wider look at the tournament as a whole and its impact on the women’s game. Thanks to Quirky Chocolate and other supporters for allowing this content to happen and to readers for engaging with it.