Jade Konkel, with 62 caps under her belt since 2013, is one of the most experienced players in the Scotland squad so after injury issues it is great to see her back.
The Harlequins captain and back-row from the Black Isle first suffered ankle problems in February 2023 and despite coming back in between times she has had to deal with similar setbacks in May last year and then November.
She had a good block of PWR games for ‘Quins at the end of the 2023/24 season and cannot wait to hopefully represent Scotland again during the upcoming September Tests and WXV 2 in South Africa.
“When I did the injury for the third time, I did wonder what this would mean because I’d had two surgeries before that,” she said.
“The metalwork had been put in, I’d done all the rehab, but things still weren’t right so I did think there was a time I wouldn’t get back playing.
“I knew I wanted to get back so I was going to chuck the kitchen sink at it and be positive that I would get back.
“Thankfully, it has pulled through and I got through a run of games getting to finish the Premiership last season which was good.
“It feels really good to be back with Scotland. Obviously, I was kind of in and out the Six Nations before last, and then in WXV 2 I wasn’t fully in, so it’s nice to be back in with a clean slate. There are lots of new faces, lots of new things to learn, but it’s really nice to be back.
“It was brilliant to see the team in such great form last season and seeing all the players absolutely smash it, but there’s nothing worse than wanting to be on that pitch with your mates, with your team representing your country and not being able to.
“It was a tough thing to be on the sidelines, but it was also really nice to still be involved on the other side of the camera [as a pundit] and still be involved in the Six Nations.
That was really special as well, seeing it in a different light, but I very much prefer being back in the squad now.”
Scotland go into the September Tests versus Wales and Fiji at home and then WXV 2 in South Africa sixth in the world rankings after eight wins in their last 11 Tests.
It means excitement is building amongst supporters ahead of a busy year leading into the 2025 Rugby World Cup.
And former Hillhead Jordanhill player Konkel, who now works as a firefighter in London alongside her rugby career, believes there is plenty more to come from this squad.
“I think it can go further [after the recent good run],” she said.
“The depth coming through is only going to strengthen the squad even more and I think it’s really exciting that we’ve come off eight wins out of 11, I don’t know when the last time we would’ve been able to say that was.
“Now we’ve got some great games coming up in the September Tests, WXV 2 and then into the Six Nations [in the first half of next year] we’ve got three home games that are all really competitive, so it puts us on a great platform to keep building.
“The next few months will also get used to being in those tight games because when we get to the World Cup it could be that last minute that you need to dig deep.
“The fact that we’ll have played so many competitive games in the build up is only going to put us in that good place to come out on top in those stressful situations.
“I am excited with where we are going.”
And how does Konkel keep on top of her Scotland, Harlequins and firefighting duties?
“I am very organised,” she states.
“I always talk about my colour-coded calendar, so in the week I know exactly what training I need to tick off, I know where I need to be at what time and I know my shift pattern.
“The great thing about my shift pattern is it’s the same, four on and four off, and that doesn’t change, so I’m good at planning around it. I don’t miss anything [rugby-wise] in the week and I’m very fortunate to have a gym at work.
“I’ll go into work early and get my sessions done. Everyone in rugby is really supportive and as long as we’ve got that open channel of communication, we make sure it works. The fact I am doing things I love doing makes it easy to balance.”
Scotland women’s training squad (uncapped in bold)
Forwards
Leah Bartlett
Gemma Bell
Christine Belisle
Holland Bogan
Sarah Bonar
Elliann Clarke
Lisa Cockburn
Eva Donaldson
Evie Gallagher
Jade Konkel
Rachel Malcolm
Elis Martin
Fiona McIntosh
Rachel McLachlan
Louise McMillan
Lana Skeldon
Alex Stewart
Emma Wassell
Anne Young
Backs
Cieron Bell
Beth Blacklock
Leia Brebner-Holden
Coreen Grant
Caity Mattinson
Jenny Maxwell
Mairi McDonald
Francesca McGhie
Liz Musgrove
Rhona Lloyd
Helen Nelson
Emma Orr
Lisa Thomson
Chloe Rollie
Lucia Scott
Meryl Smith
Day trainers invited into camp to support their development
Merryn Gunderson
Natasha Logan
Hannah Walker
Hannah Ramsay
Aila Ronald
Rachel Philipps added on August 12
Jade Konkel is pictured in training, thanks to Scottish Rugby/SNS for the image
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