'People call me a lesbian, as if that's a bad thing' | 7V085FX | 2024-03-31 16:08:01
'This is my journey, it's no-one else's.' says Meg Jones firmly.
The Welsh-born rugby star is part of the Red Roses squad deployed to the 2024 Women's Six Nations. In the opening weekend of the event, England cemented a monumental victory over Italy in Parma.
Meg is used to taking arduous knocks on the pitch and, off it, has needed to build up a equally thick skin.
'I've been referred to as "lesbian" by people who put a adverse connotation on the phrase,' Meg, 27, tells Metro. 'It's fairly humorous as a result of I am a lesbian, and of course that's not a nasty thing, so I don't let it hassle me.&
'There's nonetheless individuals who assume we shouldn't be enjoying rugby because it's a "man's sport." For me, I see beyond it, I look away. I feel "that is my journey, it's no-one else's." I invest my very own time into what I need to do. So if in case you have one thing damaging to say, simply don't say it.'
Meg, who got here out as homosexual to her pals aged 16 and to her family at 18, is in a relationship with fellow rugby star and 'soulmate' Celia Quansah.
The pair met via Celia's pals at Loughborough College and went on to symbolize Great Britain together in rugby 7s on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Beating the USA as underdogs within the quarterfinals& – ' the bookies wouldn't have put a penny on us profitable' – stays her proudest moment.
'Rugby has allowed me to precise myself in so some ways', Meg continues. 'I'm brazenly homosexual, and it's necessary for my girlfriend to be vocal about our relationship. No-one ought to really feel responsible for who they're, how they really feel or who they love.'
Meg, echoing comments made by Purple Roses captain Marlie Packer, provides that her sexuality has by no means impacted her rugby journey.
Her enjoying career started in Ely, an in depth knit working class group on the outskirts of Cardiff, Wales. There, she performed for the Glamorgan Wanderers underneath 12s boys group and swiftly turned accustomed to standing out.
'I started enjoying once I was about six', Meg says. 'I was all the time totally different, all the time boisterous. I wasn't your stereotypical good little woman. My mum needed to persuade my dad to take me to play rugby. She stated one thing like "you're taking Sam down [Meg's brother] so take her as properly.&
'That first coaching session, my dad saw my talent for the sport and my enjoyment for it.
'Rugby has given me so much since then. I used to be lucky that the individuals I played with revered me. It was by no means concerning the reality I used to be a woman or what I appeared like, I was good at rugby and that was all that mattered.'
When she turned 16 Meg, whose mum is English and pop Welsh, had to decide on which nationwide workforce can be her future. She was provided the prospect to play and research at Hartpury School in Gloucestershire and stated sure, paving the best way for a future in English rugby.
'It felt just like the natural route', Meg muses. 'The opportunities that got here with that call have been exceptional in the long run and, at the moment, in all probability accelerated my career quicker than if I'd stayed in Wales.'
Meg made her rugby 7s debut for England in July 2015, enjoying towards New Zealand within the Rugby Tremendous Collection that yr. Since then, she's taken on Six Nations and World Cups with the Pink Roses.&
On the pitch, the 27-year-old is a pure leader and a pressure to be reckoned with. But she also finds it essential to seek out the enjoyable amid the strain.
'I've acquired some good jokes, ' Meg smiles. 'Not applicable ones', she laughs when asked to provide examples.
'I nonetheless keep in mind my initiation track, I sang Justin Bieber's Child. It's a basic! I've all the time been a little bit of a joker. On the pitch, especially with the video games televised now, it looks like I get to carry out a bit. It's a free comedy show [for the fans].&
'Something I've discovered through the years is that I don't have to be two separate individuals. I can convey my character into rugby where applicable, however I can even change it off.'
Meg praises the close bond between the Purple Roses, and the varied personalities it boasts, for the squad's success in recent times.&
'There's numerous characters on the group', she provides. 'I really like enjoying with Mo Hunt [scrum-half for Gloucester-Hartpury and England], she's quality. She has this intricate information concerning the recreation and is basically competitive. If she's joyful, she'll inform you. If she's not pleased, she'll inform you that too.&
'I've additionally discovered so much from gamers I'm up towards, particularly the Kiwis. I keep in mind choosing up bits from [New Zealand player] Kelly Brazier. I observed little things, like the best way she spoke to the ref.'
Shifting forward, Meg is happy for what's but to return for the Purple Roses and women's rugby as a whole. But she gained't settle, not yet.
'For those who invest now, that ensures the longevity of the game', she stresses. 'We need to sustain that help.'
Megan Jones spoke to Metro because of RFU's principal shirt sponsor O2. O2 and RFU, in partnership with Ladies's Sport Belief, are serving to shut rugby's gender consciousness hole with one among its key aims to fill Twickenham Stadium for a ladies's rugby match by 2025.
Tickets for the event are on sale now
More >> https://ift.tt/21kVzNq Source: MAG NEWS