'support Us' - Players Criticise Scottish Rugby After World Cup Exit

Departing Scotland guardant Jade Konkel criticised Scottish Rugby and cited a deficiency of "help" fixed to her and her team-mates passim nan Women's World Cup.

Konkel's imminent world status was announced past week and, aft a 40-8 quarter-final conclusion by England, her Scotland profession came to an extremity - a determination she called "one of nan hardest things" she'd ever done.

"It's been a reliable mates of months pinch each of america getting bombshells dropped connected america correct earlier a World Cup, which is not nan champion prep," she said.

"There's been truthful galore mini conversations, inheritance noise, and nan truth that we made it to a quarter-final is - I'm not going to dishonesty - done nary thief of nan SRU."

Konkel is 1 of galore successful nan Scotland's 32-player World Cup squad who has not been offered a statement by nan union, a saga that began to rumble a fewer months earlier nan tournament.

"They've made our build-up to this really challenging, mentally and emotionally," she continued. "We admit nan semipermanent scheme but, nan timing of it was little than ideal. People were doing occupation interviews and worrying astir what they'd beryllium doing post-tournament.

"I myself wasn't offered a statement and I want to decorativeness connected my terms. If I could play longer, I'd person loved to person played longer.

"I've travel disconnected nan backmost of an unthinkable Quins season, getting subordinate of nan year. I consciousness I've sewage a batch to springiness successful my performances."

Asked if she had a connection for Scottish Rugby, Konkel replied: "Respect us. Know that this is simply a programme that we move our life into.

"I've been successful this set-up since I was 18 years old. There are bully parts, I'm not saying everything is bad. We've sewage immoderate unthinkable support around, but nan truth that a batch has happened successful nan build-up to this tourney doesn't beryllium good pinch me."

In nan contiguous aftermath of nan 40-8 conclusion by England, skipper Rachel Malcolm asked nan governing assemblage successful Scotland "just to listen".

"We cognize this crippled amended than anyone, we're a portion of this point and we each want nan aforesaid thing," Malcolm told BBC Sport. "We want to push Scotland women forward, we want to beryllium a portion of Scottish rugby, and we want to activity together to compete pinch nan likes of England."

Those words were echoed by galore of her team-mates, including Rachel McLachlan, who said it was "incredibly frustrating not being supported," while confirming she is "one of nan fortunate few" who had been fixed a caller contract.

"Just support us, and support women's rugby," McLachlan said. "That's each we inquire for. We want to beryllium nan champion successful nan world, we want to triumph these reliable games and to do that, we request support."

Fellow back-rower Evie Gallagher had a akin sentiment from what she wants from nan union: "Respect america arsenic a group. We're each passionate astir Scotland and rugby successful Scotland. We're each fighting our ain conflict individually and this squad is truthful special.

"We've shown that pinch nan things we've done complete nan past fewer years - WXV2, nan quarter-final. We are a group that earned our spot and I deliberation we merit to beryllium supported, immoderate that looks like."

When asked for comment, Scottish Rugby said they "have not and will remark connected individual contracts astatine this time".