Grace Jale

Grace Jale
Personal information
Full name	Grace Joana Ella Jale
Date of birth	10 April 1999 (age 25)
Place of birth	Auckland, New Zealand
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Wellington Phoenix
Number	7
College career
Years	Team
2019	Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Senior career*
Years	Team
2021–2022	Wellington Phoenix
2022–2023	Canberra United
2023–2024	Perth Glory
2024–	Wellington Phoenix
International career‡
2016	New Zealand U-17
2016	New Zealand U-20
2018–	New Zealand
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 4 January 2025; ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 18 September 2024

Grace Joana Ella Jale (born 10 April 1999) is an association football midfielder who plays for Wellington Phoenix and the New Zealand women's national football team. She has previously played for Perth Glory and Canberra United.

Early life

Born and raised in Auckland to a Fijian father and New Zealand mother, Jale started playing football (soccer) at age 7.^[2]^[3] 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.^[4] 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.^[4]

Club career

In August 2018, Jale was offered a contract with Czech first-division club AC Sparta Praha,^[5] but opted to attend and play for Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina in the United States.^[6]

On 19 October 2021 Jale signed with the newly formed Wellington Phoenix team to play in their inaugural season of the 2021–22 A-League Women league.^[7]

In July 2022, following a successful season with Wellington Phoenix, Jale joined for Australian A-League Women club Canberra United on a two-year contract.^[8]

In August 2023, Jale was signed by A-League Women club Perth Glory.^[9] At the end of the season she departed the club.^[10]

In August 2024, Jale returned to Wellington Phoenix.^[11]

International career

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.^[2] She previously represented New Zealand on the under-17 and under-20 national teams.^[2] She competed at the 2016 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Jordan and 2016 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Papua New Guinea.

2023 FIFA Women's World Cup

In June 2023, Jale was selected as part of the 23 player Football Ferns squad for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, which was co-hosted in Australia and New Zealand. She played two matches in the group stage.^[12]

International goals

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	19 November 2018	Stade Numa-Daly Magenta, Nouméa, New Caledonia	Tonga	11–0	11–0	2018 OFC Women's Nations Cup
2.	22 November 2018	Stade Numa-Daly Magenta, Nouméa, New Caledonia	Cook Islands	6–0	6–0	2018 OFC Women's Nations Cup
3.	7 February 2024	FFS Football Stadium, Apia, Samoa	Tonga	1–0	3–0	2024 OFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament
4.	7 February 2024		Tonga	3–0	3–0
5.	16 February 2024		Fiji	3–0	7–1
6.				6–0
7.				7–0
8.	19 February 2024		Solomon Islands	4–0	11–1
9.	19 February 2024		Solomon Islands	8–1	11–1

References

^ "List of Players - 2018 FIFA Women's U20 World Cup" (PDF). Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 August 2019. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Grace Jale relishing senior debut tournament". WN.com. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
^ "Football Fern's Grace Jale looking for more game time in Noumea". OFC Football. 21 November 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
^ ^a ^b "Exams first for schoolgirl star". New Zealand Herald. 14 November 2015. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
^ "Grace Jale offered European football contract". Mount Albert Grammar School. 2 August 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
^ "Da Luz Welcomes Seven on Signing Day". Wake Forest University. 15 November 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
^ "Wellington Phoenix women sign New Zealand midfielders Chloe Knott and Grace Jale". Stuff. 18 October 2021.
^ "Jale, Burrows and Taranto sign for United". Canberra United. 15 July 2022.
^ Morgan, Gareth (15 August 2023). "Glory land Women's World Cup striker". Perth Glory.
^ "Women's football squad announced for Paris 2024". New Zealand Football. 4 July 2024. Grace Jale* (31 caps) Unattached
^ "Football Ferns forward lured back to the Nix". Wellington Phoenix. 27 August 2024.
^ "Grace Jale National Team Match Logs". FBref.com. Retrieved 26 August 2023.

External links

Grace Jale at Soccerway

[FIFA_2018-1] "List of Players - 2018 FIFA Women's U20 World Cup" (PDF). Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 August 2019. Retrieved 13 June 2019.

[wn_221118-2] "Grace Jale relishing senior debut tournament". WN.com. Retrieved 16 March 2019.

[3] "Football Fern's Grace Jale looking for more game time in Noumea". OFC Football. 21 November 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2019.

[nzherald_141115-4] "Exams first for schoolgirl star". New Zealand Herald. 14 November 2015. Retrieved 16 March 2019.

[sparta_contract_offer-5] "Grace Jale offered European football contract". Mount Albert Grammar School. 2 August 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2019.

[wake_forest_signing-6] "Da Luz Welcomes Seven on Signing Day". Wake Forest University. 15 November 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2019.

[7] "Wellington Phoenix women sign New Zealand midfielders Chloe Knott and Grace Jale". Stuff. 18 October 2021.

[8] "Jale, Burrows and Taranto sign for United". Canberra United. 15 July 2022.

[9] Morgan, Gareth (15 August 2023). "Glory land Women's World Cup striker". Perth Glory.

[10] "Women's football squad announced for Paris 2024". New Zealand Football. 4 July 2024. Grace Jale* (31 caps) Unattached

[11] "Football Ferns forward lured back to the Nix". Wellington Phoenix. 27 August 2024.

[12] "Grace Jale National Team Match Logs". FBref.com. Retrieved 26 August 2023.

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