2026-02-21 12:34:42
Jodie Ounsley hopes her presence on Gladiators can attract new audiences to rugby.
The 25-year-old star features as Fury on the BBC show and the former Exeter Chiefs player admits that she would like to attract new fans for the sport.
Ounsley told Rugby World magazine: “One minute I’m playing rugby, the next I’m in Lycra being a Gladiator. The opportunity was out of the blue; I was so focused on all my rugby goals and I didn’t imagine I’d be on telly.
“When it came around, I spoke to my family and they were clear that opportunities don’t come every day and you must take them when you can. It’s been a year and a half since I stepped away.
“I love to think that I can take people from the television world watching Gladiators and bring them to rugby.”
Ounsley – who is profoundly deaf and wears a cochlear implant – finds it strange being recognised in the street but hopes that other rugby stars can broaden their presence in the way she has done.
She said: “It’s so bizarre and I’ll never get used to it. But I love chatting to people anyway and I end up getting in trouble for speaking to people too much.
“At the World Cup (last year), the amount of people who came and told me they love Fury and Gladiators and have even started rugby because of me, it blew my mind. That’s what I do it for.
“Even if I can have a small impact getting people in sport, I’ll keep doing it. But I’m still not used to it, I’m just Jodie from Yorkshire.
“We need to get our personalities out there because people relate to people rather than rugby players. By showing our human side, people are more likely to tune into the rugby game. Look at Joe Marler and Ilona Maher.”
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