Meet Jodie Ounsley: the deaf player on the women's rugby scene

Jodie Ounsley is one of the most inspiring characters in rugby union today.

Fundamentally deaf, Jodie is only able to hear with a cochlear implant. However, participating in contact sport, she runs the risk of completely losing the ability to hear.

At just 19, she became the first deaf female rugby player to be selected for the England 7s side and is currently part of the Sale Sharks set-up and also hopes to secure a spot in the Great Britain 7s squad to compete in Tokyo during the summer.

"I'm really passionate about not letting hearing hold you back," she said. "Anyone who has a cochlear implant fitted, they say not to play impact sports because of the risk that the implant might get knocked in your head and you might not be able to hear again.

"That's the worst possible scenario. I found sport and it was something I was good at where my hearing didn't seem to matter.

"As I've grown, I've realised you need to go for it anyway. There's no point holding back. The last thing you want to do is live with regrets."

Ounsley was fitted with the implant at 14 months old and took up rugby at the age of 15. While her new choice of sport was initially against her father’s wishes, a solution transpired which satisfied him.

"We spent ages looking into how to protect the implant when we came across scrum caps," she explains.

"Once he realised I could wear one he said I could try it. We never thought it would end up like this. I kept pushing him and trying to persuade him so I think he got sick of it."

Ounsley’s ambition in the sport is very high.

"Whichever sport I was in, I've always said I wanted to go to the Olympics," she says.

"It's still my dream. There's a long way to go and I've got so much to learn but I'm going to keep working hard - you never know what will happen."

Her courage and staunch work ethic have rendered a role model in the deaf community.

"I was so surprised how a lot of people in the deaf community seem scared to go for it or have self-belief to try something without letting hearing affect them," she recalls.

"Then I realised that I want to push people and say they can do it. The response at the first school I went to was amazing.

"The kids looked at me as a role model. Since then I've got attached and gone to a couple more schools and I've got three more planned - I just love it."