Megan Jones: England centre chasing World Cup glory through grief

Waterman was watching because, despite her Welsh upbringing, Welsh father and fluency in Welsh, Jones had a plan for her future that would take her over the border. She had it all mapped out.

Hartpury College, where Waterman ran the best programme for teenage girls in the UK, then Loughborough University, which offered youngsters a direct route to the top of women’s club rugby, and finally England, second only to New Zealand in the women’s Test game at the time.

Jones’ route played out exactly as she had planned.

She made her England debut at just 18, starting at fly-half in a 26-7 defeat by New Zealand in July 2015.

The rise on the pitch though, came against a backdrop of private strife.

Jones’ mother Paula, through whom she qualifies for the Red Roses, was an alcoholic.

She was also the senior nurse on a neurology ward.

“She struggled for many years, 20 years, but she was a functioning addict,” Jones told Rugby Union Weekly.

“And what I mean by that is, you know, you drink in a day and then go to work the next day and, you know, act like nothing kind of happened.

“It’s quite common. But things just progressively got worse throughout the years.”

Jones’ father Simon died in August 2024, less than seven months after being diagnosed with advanced lung cancer.

While Jones’ parents spilt up when she was 17, shortly after she had left home for Hartpury, the shock of his death exacerbated Paula’s condition.

“I think my mum was just grieving, grieving the heart loss really,” said Jones.

“She went into a massive downward spiral. I tried to get her involved in many different support networks, Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, other avenues, but they didn’t really work.”