THIEL Jake

General
FAMILY INSPIRATION
He says the fact that both his mother Jen and his father Jon had international rugby careers has been a major influence on him. "They always pushed me to work hard. My dad is always there supporting me, driving me to be better. My mum has showed me what you are able to do for others through the sport." He says his twin brother Josh also motivates him to improve as a player. "It's like having your best friend, but he's always there and he's basically the same person as you. He's got the hardest work ethic of anyone I know. I want to be just as good as him. Rugby has made us a more tight-knit family, seeing each other strive to reach our goals." (thescrum.aedelhard.com, 26 Sep 2018; (theprovince.com, 08 Mar 2019)

CHARITY WORK
In 2019 he started a campaign to raise money for Paisley McRury, daughter of Canadian rugby player Graeme MacRury, who was suffering from leukemia. He wore orange laces at the 2019 South American Sevens tournament in Uruguay, with his Canadian national teammates joining in at several World Series events in 2019. The team also wore custom painted boots at the 2020 Vancouver Sevens tournament in Canada. The boots were then sold at a charity auction, with proceeds going to Paisley's children's hospice in Vancouver. "Some things are bigger than rugby and the opportunity to make a positive change in someone's life, no matter how small, is something we never shy away from." (app.auctria.com, 01 Jan 2019; Instagram profile, 01 Mar 2019; Instagram profile, 01 Mar 2020; globalnews.ca, 09 Mar 2019)