Marine biologist and Harlequins scrum-half - How Freya Aucken is Powered Differently

Harlequins have their very own ‘Doctor Dolittle’ within their ranks, who is making waves on and off the pitch.

Scrum-half Freya Aucken has been thriving at The Stoop for some time now, becoming a staple of Quins sides since making her debut in February 2021.

Away from rugby, however, Aucken is a committed conservationist, having recently qualified as a marine biologist.

It is a career path that Aucken has always seemed destined to go down, with her unwavering love for animals garnering her a fitting childhood nickname.

“Ever since I was a young age, I've always loved animals,” she said. “My friends would call me Doctor Dolittle!

“I've always just focused on if animals are there, I want to make sure that they can stay there.

“Obviously, through the years, you can see even when I've been alive, animals have gone extinct, so conservation is a big thing for me.

“I've got specific animals that I really enjoy that I want to be able to see in the future, so doing everything I can now to make sure that they're still here is really important.”

Aucken’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 just a few of the superhuman players across the league.

Alongside Aucken, the campaign features players like doctor Simi Pam at Bristol Bears, teacher Sydney Gregson at Saracens and RAF Flight Lieutenant Lucy Nye at Exeter Chiefs.

Aucken is more than used to action in the workplace in Quins' famous quarters - but when she takes off the rugby boots, she swaps her footwear for flippers, going from land to sea in the name of conservation.

“A typical day in marine biology will include looking at research, how that's going and how conservation efforts are impacting it,” she added.

“Then going out into the ocean, probably scuba diving, and targeting the specific areas, making sure that they're in good health, making sure that whatever activity you need to do, like feeding the corals, is happening.

“Then probably just taking in results, researching them and making sure you're on top of everything.”

As well as ability, Aucken has emphasised the importance of passion in order to succeed in her line of work - something that applies to both the lab and the pitch.

“If you're passionate about something, you can put your all into it,” she added.

“It’s making sure that you're passionate about it, you can work hard, but also the enjoyment side, like finding the fun and little things.

“Even if I'm going out on a boat or a dive and it's dark where you don't see many things, just accepting it, but also making the most of that opportunity.”

Aucken has also developed skills at Quins that she’s been able to transfer to the academic sphere, with a growth in confidence helping push her over the line in her quest to qualify as a marine biologist.

“I've gained a lot of confidence, being a loud speaker at Quins,” she said. “I think it's really helped me either in interviews or just working at uni and group projects.

“It's just really helped me be able to speak and think about what I’m saying before actually saying it.”