Kerin Lake

Kerin Lake
Date of birth (1990-05-24) 24 May 1990 (age 34)
Place of birthNeath, Neath Port Talbot, Wales
Height5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
SchoolNeath Port Talbot College
Occupation(s)Healthcare admin support
Rugby union career
Position(s) Centre
Current team Gloucester-Hartpury
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2006–2011 Neath Athletic ()
2016–2020 Ospreys Womens 26 (115)
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2011, 2015–present Wales 33 15

Kerin Lake (born 24 May 1990) is a Welsh rugby union player who plays centre for Gloucester-Hartpury of the Premier 15s and the Wales women's national rugby union team. She made her debut for Wales in 2011 and has played for the national team 29 times, scoring four tries. Lake gives administrator support to Tonna Hospital's mental health staff while continuing her rugby career.

Personal background

On 24 May 1990, Lake was born in Neath, Neath Port Talbot, Wales.[1] She was educated at Neath Port Talbot College.[2] As of 2021, Lake's official Welsh Rugby Union biography lists her height as 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) and her weight as 69.09 kg (10.880 st).[1] She plays as a centre.[1][3] Lake has one son.[3][4][5] Outside of rugby, she gives administration support to mental health staff at Tonna Hospital.[3]

International career

Lake has played for Wales at the Welsh Student team,[2] and the Wales U19,[6] and Wales U20 sides.[7] She was shortlisted to be selected for the Wales national team for the 2010 Women's Rugby World Cup but ultimately did not play for the squad.[7] Lake was named as a substitute for the Welsh team's first match of the 2011 Women's Six Nations Championship against England.[8] She went on to make her international debut in the side's following match playing Scotland coming on as a substitute and scored her first international try in the same fixture.[1][9] Lake went on to score her second try in the second half of a 8–12 defeat to Italy.[10]

She did not play another international match until 2015 due to the birth of her son and due to her picking up an eye injury preventing her from playing until late 2019. Lake instead took up a refereeing role in the meantime.[3] She returned to play for the Welsh national team at the 2015 Women's Six Nations Championship.[4] Lake has gone on to play for the national team a further 25 times, scoring one try in earning 30 caps and four tries overall.[1]

After Wales lost multiple matches in the 2021 Women's Six Nations Championship, Lake's partner defended her team on social media and praised Lake's work ethic, noting Wales international women players combine their playing careers with work commitment unlike fully professional teams such as the England side.[11]

Lake was selected in Wales squad for the 2021 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.[12][13]

Club career

At the club level, she played for Neath Athletic from 2006 to 2011.[14][8] Lake also played for Skewen RFC,[15] before signing for the Ospreys Women's team in 2016.[16] She was made vice-captain of the team,[9] playing 26 times and scoring 23 tries for the side in each of the Women's Welsh Premiership and the Women's Super Cup competitions between 2016 and 2020.[16] In August 2020, four months after undergoing back surgery,[11] Lake signed for Gloucester-Hartpury Women of the English Premier 15s, having impressed coach Sean Lynn in pre-season training.[17]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Kerin Lake". Welsh Rugby Union. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Welsh Students Squad Selected". Welsh Rugby Union. 22 November 2006. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d Jones, Liz (22 March 2020). "Rugby Mams – Wales centre Kerin Lake". Welsh Rugby Union. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  4. ^ a b Howell, Andy (4 February 2017). "New Six Nations, New Captain, New Hope..." Western Mail. Retrieved 3 April 2021 – via PressReader.
  5. ^ "Mum Kerin focusing on big day". Welsh Rugby Union. 15 March 2015. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  6. ^ "Wales name Under 19 squad". ESPN. 27 March 2007. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  7. ^ a b "Wales Women seek World Cup youth boost". BBC Sport. 28 June 2010. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  8. ^ a b "Three new caps are named for women's clash at Cross Keys". WalesOnline. 4 February 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  9. ^ a b "Ospreys Women – 3 to Watch". Ospreys. 20 October 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  10. ^ "Lake's score proves in vain". South Wales Echo. 28 February 2011. p. 10. ProQuest 854052462. Retrieved 3 April 2021 – via ProQuest.
  11. ^ a b Sands, Katie (12 April 2021). "Partner of Wales player speaks out in defence of team after abuse over defeats". WalesOnline. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
  12. ^ Jones, Liz (21 September 2022). "Wales Rugby World Cup squad named". Welsh Rugby Union. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  13. ^ "Wales: Siwan Lillicrap captains 32-player Rugby World Cup squad featuring 19 tournament debutants". Sky Sports. 21 September 2022. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  14. ^ "Rugby: Ladies' class shines through". WalesOnline. 30 November 2006. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  15. ^ Watson, Fraser (29 July 2014). "Life's a beach for dominant Flamingoes". Western Telegraph. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
  16. ^ a b "Player Kerin Lake – Back – Statistics". Swansea RFC. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
    "Player Kerin Lake – Back – Competition Summary". Swansea RFC. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  17. ^ "Wales' Robyn Lock and Kerin Lake join Gloucester-Hartpury Women". BBC Sport. 23 August 2020. Retrieved 3 April 2021.