Rianna Jarrett


Rianna Lauren Jarrett is a Republic of Ireland women's international footballer who plays for Brighton & Hove Albion of the English FA WSL. A prolific forward, Jarrett was the WNL Player of the Season in 2018.

Early life

Jarrett's mother Doreen is from Wexford and had met her Jamaican father David while living in England. The family returned to Wexford and Jarrett began playing football for North End United's boys' team alongside her twin brother Jordan and their cousin Robin Dempsey. She was forced to leave the boys' team and briefly played for Curracloe, as well as for a Wexford League select team who entered the FAI Women's Cup.

UT Martin Skyhawks

Jarrett received an athletic scholarship from the University of Tennessee at Martin to play college soccer for their UT Martin Skyhawks in 2014. Her 17 goals set a new school record and she won the Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Season. After suffering a serious knee injury in January 2015 Jarrett quit her American studies, switching to Institute of Technology, Carlow and taking a job with Equifax in Wexford.

Club career

Wexford Youths

Jarrett joined Wexford Youths for the inaugural Women's National League season in 2011–12.
In 2018 Jarrett scored 27 goals for Wexford Youths and was named WNL Player of the Season as the club won a Treble. In June 2019 she scored five times in Wexford Youths' 6–2 win at Galway WFC, amidst reports that her "sensational form" had brought her to "the verge of a step up in level".

Brighton & Hove Albion

On 23 January 2020, Jarrett signed a six-month contract with English FA WSL club Brighton & Hove Albion.

International career

In 2010, Jarrett was a member of the Republic of Ireland U-17 squad who were runners-up in the 2010 UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship and quarter-finalists in the 2010 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.
Jarrett won her first cap for the senior Republic of Ireland national team in March 2016, in a 1–1 draw with Italy at the 2016 Cyprus Cup. She substituted in for Megan Connolly, but nine minutes later suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury. It was the third such injury of Jarrett's young career, following occasions in April 2013 and January 2015.
In May 2018, Ireland coach Colin Bell recalled Jarrett to the squad for a FIFA Women's World Cup qualifying fixture against Norway. Ireland were eliminated after losing in Stavanger but Jarrett won her second cap as an 83rd-minute substitute.