A tattoo artist and Sale Sharks prop - How Amber Schonert is Powered Differently

Amber Schonert is perhaps one of the busiest players in Premiership Women's Rugby.

The Sale Sharks prop often goes from baking in her family's coffee shop, to running her own tattoo business and rugby training all in one day.

Playing at the elite level of women's club rugby at the end of a working week, the South Africa international describes rugby as her escape from everyday life.

And Schonert's story is one of nine being told this week as part of a new campaign from Premiership Women's Rugby called Powered Differently which focuses on some superhuman players across the league. Each player has a job to balance while playing elite rugby union.

Alongside Schonert the campaign features players like doctor Simi Pam at Bristol Bears, marine biologist Freya Aucken at Harlequins, RAF flight lieutenant Lucy Nye at Exeter Chiefs and teacher Sydney Gregson at Saracens.

Taking up rugby just three years ago, Schonert's schedule is testament to the 32-year-old's motivation and desire to be the hardest worker possible.

"I am ridiculously busy and I have the most difficult schedule to follow," Schonert laughed.

"I have my own tattooing business and we also run our family business. It is ridiculous trying to fit it all in.

"Going to rugby is an escape from that busy work schedule and having that work schedule also allows you to really appreciate rugby. It is good to balance the two I think.

"I work in the bakery in the morning, doing all of the baking, coming up with all the different ideas for flavours for the doughnuts and then make my way over to the tattoo studio. I am a busy girl."

The former bodybuilder was inspired to take up rugby by her family, who thought she was too rough for hockey after one too many red cards.

With her husband, Kurt, and brother-in-law, Nick, both having played the sport at the professional level, there was no shortage of wisdom at hand for the South African.

Joining Sale in the summer of 2023, after helping Cheltenham Tigers to a Papa Johns Women’s Championship Play-Off win at Allianz Stadium, Schonert has continued to partner her time on the pitch with full-time work.

Fascinated with art and tattoos from an early age, the prop loves nothing more than going from the intricacies of the scrum to planning a customer’s piece of artwork.

Even while the tattoo studio and the rugby pitch may seem worlds apart, Schonert believes that the two professions have helped one another. 

"I think being a tattoo artist makes me a better rugby player because the communication that I need with people really comes into play on the pitch," Schonert said.

"You need to communicate with people really well and with your teammates. 

"I also think just having a little escape with something that I really enjoy outside of rugby makes you have that little bit of a switch off, so that when you go back to rugby, you are really enthusiastic about it."

While being a tattoo artist has helped Schonert on the pitch, playing the sport has had a profound effect on her.

Falling for the sport on day one, the 32-year-old has not only excelled as an athlete, but as a person too.

"I am not a very good person when it comes to being patient," Schonert said. "Rugby has taught me to be patient with other people and learning that what they are going through at home doesn't really dictate who you are that day or at training.

"You never know what someone else is going through at home and it gives you that patience and understanding that people are all in different spaces at the same time."

This season Schonert will be looking to help Sale Sharks improve on their eighth-place finish last term.

To do so, Rachel Taylor has recruited Italy scrum-half Sofia Stefan, Spain's Alba Capell and the USA's Erica Jarrell to bolster the squad for the new season and start their league campaign with a visit from Saracens on Saturday 12 October.