Jade Konkel Retires

Harlequins Women can confirm that Club Captain Jade Konkel will retire from rugby at the end of the 2025-26 season.

Scotland international Konkel joined the Club in 2018, going on to be named captain in 2023.

The inspirational figure, who played many of her games in the back-row has made over 60 appearances in the Quarters, as well as 74 caps for Scotland, representing her country in both the 2021 and 2025 Rugby World Cups. In June 2016, Konkel made history as the first ever Scottish female player to sign a professional contract with Scottish Rugby.

Konkel has balanced her playing career with her job as a firefighter with the London Fire Brigade and captained the side to a first play-off appearance in three years last campaign.

She was named as Women’s Player of the Season for 2022-23 and 2024-25 and has continued to be a major presence in the Harlequins side this campaign.

Speaking about her decision to retire from the game, Konkel highlighted how Quins has become a home for her during her eight-year stint at the Club.

“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. 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.

“But the season isn’t over yet. This is just my last chapter. I’m here for this season, all in, chasing standards and chasing success with this group. When it’s over, I want to know the tank is well and truly empty: nothing left on the pitch, nothing to chance. Until that final whistle, the work continues and I’m proud to be doing it in this jersey, with this team.”

Head Coach Ross Chisholm paid tribute to his captain and what she has given to both the Club and the game.

“Jade is an incredible leader and an even better person. She is someone who embodies what it means to be a Harlequin and I want to wish her all the best for what the future holds. When I first started coaching in the Women’s programme, it was quickly apparent just how much of an inspirational figure she is to the group, but she also combines that with an incredible work ethic and drive. There is still more to come throughout the rest of the season, but for now I want to pay tribute to an amazing person and wonderful career.”