Ask anyone about Meg Jones, and the response about her both as a human being and a rugby player will be overwhelmingly positive.
Ahead of the World Cup final against Canada on Saturday, coach John Mitchell said she has an incredible energy which rubs off on her teammates. Captain Zoe Aldcroft did not hesitate to say she is the best player in the world and an “unbelievable person.”
As a player, Jones has been outstanding since the opening game of the World Cup against the United States. Her efforts, both in this tournament and the Six Nations, have earned her a nomination for World Rugby Player of the Year.
There’s an argument the Red Roses are built around her, too.
A weapon at the breakdown and an enforcer with ball in hand, a lot of what England have done well in the last 12 months has stemmed from the work of Jones. She sets the tone, particularly if the chips are down, revving up herself and her teammates in equal measure.
As a person, her courage, outlook on life and, as Mitchell highlights, energy, is quite remarkable, especially considering the personal challenges she has faced in recent times.
– John Mitchell: The coach behind Red Roses’ success
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Both her mum Paula and dad Simon died within a few months of each other last year. When asked how challenging things have been for her, Jones’ response speaks volumes.
“Yeah, of course it’s difficult, but … I hate being the victim,” Jones says.
“I was never brought up that way. My mum and dad would hate that, so I’d never sit there asking for pity or sympathy and I’ve struggled to give sympathy at times because of probably the way my mindset is.
“I never want people to feel sorry for me.”
It’s not that the 28-year-old is robotic or void of emotion. Far from it.
She has been open about her parents to show the importance of being vulnerable and talking through tough times. Jones wants to prove to others that even the strongest rugby players go through hard times. But if speaking about it can lessen the burden, it’s worth it.
“I’m not saying there’s never bad days, of course there’s loads of bad days, but there’s always good within a bad day,” Jones reflects.
“I think perspective is so beautiful and it’s everything my mum and dad taught me … Work hard and always know that you’ll never feel sad 24/7.”
That mindset is on show in the way Jones plays the game. If things aren’t going her way, there is no quibbling with the referee or throwing up of hands in the air. It’s simply onto the next task and how she can dominate it.
It has been that way since she first picked up a rugby ball at the age of six, playing with the boys as the only girl on her team until she was a teenager. Jones was, by her own admission, a tough kid, and eager for contact. She got told off while playing hockey for being too physical, having to be reminded that it is actually not a contact sport.
Jones and her siblings used to wrestle: “It wasn’t quite WWE, but it was pretty heavy,” Jones recalls.
It is no wonder then that Jones was drawn to rugby. Playing with the boys allowed her to be her boisterous best and get stuck in.
“I used to play scrum-half with the boys and they used to love how bossy I was,” Jones says.
“I remember the boys were like, ‘yeah, make sure you smack us on the bum when we’re in our maul,’ and I was like, ‘yeah, yeah, go on boys, get up, get up.’ Again, that’s the energy I had.”
Jones epitomises what it is to be a modern Red Rose and indeed a women’s rugby player in 2025.
Authentic and unapologetically herself, the barnstorming centre did not have many women’s players to look up to when she was younger. Now, Jones is embracing the fact she is a part of a generation of players that girls and boys will idolise and pretend to be in their back gardens.
She recalls the moment this week a young boy was stunned to silence at the sight of Ellie Kildunne after training.
“He didn’t say a word and she was like, ‘have you got a voice?’ And he was like… [silence],” Jones explains.
“Those moments I think are just so, so special.”
“You now have young boys and girls saying: ‘I want to be like Ellie, I want to be like Meg Jones, I want to be like Zoe Aldcroft. That’s just really special and I think we’ll only elevate the game further.”
