Ounsley has left Exeter Chiefs with immediate effect
Jodie Ounsley has quit from rugby in order to pursue new opportunities. Her club Exeter Chiefs has allowed her to exit her contract early.
Ounsley was recently a Gladiator on the rebooted BBC series and she has inspired many who watched the show. She was ‘Fury’ and was the first deaf Gladiator.
Read more: Ounsley becomes Gladiator
“Stepping away from the rugby field has been one of the most difficult decisions of my life. This sport has given me opportunities, friendships, and memories that I could only have dreamt of, and I will forever be grateful to the wonderful community at the Exeter Chiefs for making this feel like home.
“Whilst I am excited for opportunities around the corner, this is certainly not goodbye and I will continue to be a fervent supporter of women’s rugby and with the Rugby World Cup on the horizon, I can’t wait to see what the future holds for our sport.”
Ounsley played for Sale Sharks before joining Exeter in 2022. She made eight appearances and scored three tries for south west club. A shoulder injury sidelined her from making more appearances during the current season.
Exeter Chiefs are bidding to win their first Premiership Women’s Rugby title. They have reached two finals but were beaten by Saracens and Gloucester-Hartpury respectively.
They are currently third with 47 points and are likely to claim a semi-final spot. There are four rounds of the regular PWR season left and Exeter’s remaining matches are against Ealing Trailfinders, Saracens and Leicester Tigers. Exeter have a bye week for one of the rounds with only nine teams in the league this season.
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