Grace Jale


Grace Jale is an association football midfielder who plays for the New Zealand women's national football team.

Early life

Born and raised in Auckland to a Fijian father and New Zealand mother, Jale started playing football at age 7. She attended Mt Albert Grammar School where she helped the team to a national First XI championship. She also played for the Eastern Suburbs premier women's team. During her first year playing for the Bay Olympic Club Team, she was named Player of the Year and was awarded a Variety Gold Heart Scholarship.

Career

International

Jale made her debut for the senior national team and scored her first international goal during a match against Tonga at the 2018 OFC Women's Nations Cup. She previously represented New Zealand on the under-17 and under-20 national teams. She competed at the 2016 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Jordan and 2016 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Papa New Guinea.

Club

In August 2018, Jale was offered a contract with Czech first-division club AC Sparta Praha, but opted to attend and play for Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina in the United States.