Meg Jones, captain of the England women's rugby union team, known as the Red Roses, is advocating for enhanced fertility support, including egg freezing options, for her teammates. Jones expressed her concern that pursuing a professional sports career could jeopardize her opportunity to have a family.
Jones, 29, revealed she has begun her fertility journey with her fiancée, having undergone checks at a clinic. She stated her intention to openly share her experience, discussing both her upcoming wedding and family planning with equal comfort. The couple had initially considered egg freezing but received advice that delaying this process until after their wedding was feasible, with the intention to conceive thereafter.
The Red Roses are recognized for having one of the most progressive maternity policies in international women's sports. The team has seen two World Cup winners recently become mothers, with two more players currently expecting.
A spokesperson for the Rugby Football Union (RFU) commented on the potential for fertility packages, stating the organization works to support players' decisions regarding fertility and family planning. The RFU highlighted its industry-leading support in this area and its ongoing commitment to exploring how this support can be enhanced, in addition to existing comprehensive maternity and parental policies.
While there is currently no specific policy for financial compensation for fertility treatments for England players, discussions are reportedly underway at the RFU, with the possibility of introduction in the future. Players are presently entitled to one week of paid leave per treatment cycle for fertility-related appointments and treatments.
Jones's call for such support gained attention after she discussed the topic on "The Good, The Scaz & The Rugby" podcast. She referenced the Spanish football federation's recent announcement that it would fund egg freezing for its international women's players. Additionally, Chelsea Women unveiled a partnership in August with a fertility company to offer workshops, treatments, counseling, and assessments to support their players, with a fund covering the cost of egg freezing for the entire squad.
Speaking ahead of England's match against Australia, Jones told BBC Sport that she hadn't previously considered the lack of explicit fertility guidance from a governing body. "I wouldn't have thought it was something that we were lacking from maybe a governing point of view, but now I think about it I'm like, yeah, actually, I haven't got that opportunity to go and create a family and be guided on," she said. "It's definitely been flagged with our group. And yeah, again, you learn so much from other teams… And I think the more we can empower women the better for the game as a whole, and better for women in general."