User:Catch Red Owl/Kerin Lake

Kerin Lake (born 24 May 1990) is a Welsh Rugby Union player who plays centre for the Wales women's national rugby union team and Gloucester Hartpury. She made her debut for the Wales national squad in 2011 and represented them at the 2021 Women's Six Nations Championship.

Club career
Lake started her rugby career with Neath Athletic RFC in 2006 before later moving to Swansea RFC. In 2016 she signed with the Ospreys Women's team. Here she was made vice-captain, 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. During this time she also played for Skewen RFC.

In August 2020, just four months after undergoing back surgery, Lake signed for Gloucester-Hartpury Women of the English Premier 15s, having impressed coach Sean Lynn in pre-season training.

International career
After playing for Wales under-20s, Lake made her senior debut for Wales during the 2011 Women's Six Nations Championship, where she was bought on as a substitute during a match against Scotland, and subsequently scored a try. She scored again in the team's following match, against Italy.

However, Lake did not return to international rugby until the 2015 Women's Six Nations Championships due to the birth of her son, Jacob. She remained involved in the game by taking up a refereeing role during this time.

Lake's rugby career was then put on pause again due to an eye injury that kept her out of the game for a year until autumn 2019. She most recently represented Wales at the 2021 Women's Six Nations Championship.

Lake has won 30 caps in her career to date.

Personal life
Born in Neath, Lake attended Llangatwg Comprehensive as a child before moving to Neath Port Talbot College.

In addition to her rugby career, Lake provides admin support to the mental health unit at Tonna Hospital.

Following several match losses during the 2021 Women's Six Nations Championship, Lake's partner Steff Jones took to social media to defend the Wales team and to applaud Lake's work ethic, noting that unlike fully professional teams such as England, the Welsh women's squad are expected to juggle rugby and work commitments, and often have no choice but to forgo rest days.

Lake has one son, Jacob, with partner Steff Jones.