Van Harskamp retires “temporarily”

The NRB - the Dutch rugby union - has issued the following statement:

"Kelly van Harskamp has decided to end her career in rugby for now. Over the last years she fully committed herself to put Rugby in the Netherlands on the map and to the dream to represent the Netherlands at the Olympic Games in 2016 with the Ladies Sevens. Unfortunately Kelly does not feel the intrinsic motivation to set everything in her life a side for the realization of that dream.

Kelly van Harskamp: “My decision to temporarily take a step down from a career in rugby has nothing to do with the set up of the pathway, the team or the staff. Rugby is and always will be the best sport for me, but I didn’t feel happy as a top athlete anymore. To perform to the best of your ability you have to give yourself fully, everyday. Lately that became harder to me. I am happy and proud that I was a part of this big adventure and experience I lived with the girls and the staff. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. Possibly the time away from the program will give me the will to make a comeback in the near future. But for now I want to thank all people who have supported me and the team till now. I am proud that the program gave me the opportunity to be an ambassador for The Rugby MAD Foundation Make a Difference.”

Kelly van Harskamp started her rugby career as a young girl with her club RC The Bassets in Sassenheim, Netherlands. As soon as she switched from 15s to 7s rugby in 2008 she has always been of key value to the Dutch Ladies Sevens selection. In 2009 Kelly was part of the selection for the Rugby World Cup in Dubai. Online platform Scrumqueens elected Kelly in 2011 for ‘7s Player of the Year’. In 2012 she was honored by the Dutch Rugby Union with the title of Dutch Female Rugby player of the year. In 2013 the IRB nominated her for the title of IRB Women’s Sevens Player of the Year and in that year she was part of the selection to play at the Rugby World Cup in Moscow. Kelly is acknowledged to be one of the best backline players that the Netherlands have known. Over the years she was a role model for female rugby players in the Netherlands, but also internationally."