Latest news with #MegJones
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Trailfinders sign Gallagher from Leicester
Trailfinders Women have signed Canada international Claire Gallagher from Leicester full-back has followed Meg Jones and Francesca McGhie to the London won her first international cap against New Zealand in 2023."I first became interested in joining Trailfinders after having played against them the past two seasons and liking their playing style and freedom on the pitch," Gallagher told the club website, external. "What reassured my decision was hearing from my Canadian teammates how awesome the team culture is and the buy-in from the group. I'm looking forward to playing my part."
Telegraph
4 days ago
- Health
- Telegraph
Red Roses players back ‘Ruck You' transgender v biological female sevens match
Red Roses players have voiced their support for a rugby match that saw a team of trans women play against a side of biological females. The 'Ruck You' match took place in Oslo to challenge the perception that trans women have physical advantages over biological women. The game began with seven trans women playing against seven former female internationals, before players from both teams mixed to protest against the sport's ban on transgender women. The match finished 34-7, with a post on the event's social media feed claiming the team of trans women only scored their try after 'one pivotal change.. When trans women and cis women mixed teams and came together.' The event, which was organised by former England prop Sasha Acheson, was also supported by past and present players from Wales and Scotland. Meg Jones and Poppy Cleall were among the current Red Roses players who sent messages of support that were shared on the event's social media feed ahead of the match on June 1. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rugby For All - THE Ruck You Match 😉💥 (@the_ruckyou_match) Jones, one of England's standout players in recent seasons, said: 'I'm supporting the Ruck You match because this game is built on women of all shapes and sizes, different backgrounds, different stories and I know sport has the power to make this change. On June 1, hopefully we get to see the change we want to see in this world.' Cleall, who has 66 caps for the Red Roses, said: 'I support the Ruck You match. Rugby is an incredible sport. It's incredible because it's inclusive, communities come together and any shape, any size can play it. 'That's why I love rugby and that's why I hope rugby continues to be that safe space for people, that place where anyone can feel like they can come to and be supported. Teamwork is so vital in rugby and this is an opportunity for me to say, 'I have your back.'' In 2020, World Rugby became the first international sports federation to ban trans women at elite level, citing 'significant' safety concerns. The body's decision was based on scientific data which showed 'at least a 20-30 per cent greater risk' of injury risk factors when a female player is tackled by someone who has gone through male puberty. Despite this data, the body said it was up to individual member unions to decide whether to enforce the policy at grassroots level. The global governing body did not comment on the 'Ruck You' match when approached by Telegraph Sport. Two players who were named in the transgender team line-up in Oslo were Julie Ann Curtis and Alix Fitzgerald, who became ineligible to play female community rugby in England when the Rugby Football Union voted to ban trans women from full-contact women's rugby union in 2022. At the time, there were believed to be six transgender women playing in the female community game. The RFU did not comment on English players' involvement in the 'Ruck You' match when approached by Telegraph Sport. The 'Ruck You' match is believed to be the first of its kind staged at the International Gay Rugby Cup, which describes itself as Europe's largest inclusive rugby tournament, and was supported by several women internationals. USA international Alycia Washington was part of the biological female team and flew to Oslo hours after winning France's premier club competition, Elite 1 Feminine league, with Bordeaux over the weekend. 'If you're wondering why I flew [to Oslo] for one 7s game, it's because people in my community had their rugby careers stolen from them by a ban on trans athletes,' Washington, a former Worcester Warriors player, wrote on social media. 'I believe they deserve to play and it was an honor [sic] to give them one more game.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Alycia Washington (@afro_lycia) Several sports governing bodies have banned transgender women in the wake of the landmark Supreme Court ruling on April 16 that a legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex. The England and Wales Cricket Board banned transgender women from competing in all levels of women's cricket on May 2, while England Netball also changed its participation guidelines by banning transgender women from its female category. From September, the body will recognise three distinct gender participation categories: female, male and mixed.
BBC News
21-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Lions duo Russell & Williams among player of year nominees
British and Irish Lions squad members Finn Russell and Tomos Williams are among five nominations for this season's Premiership Rugby player of the season Bath and Scotland fly-half and Gloucester and Wales scrum-half are joined on the shortlist by Sale and England playmaker George Ford, Bath prop Thomas du Toit and Saracens back-rower Tom of the the league's top five teams are represented in the director of rugby of the season category, with Johann van Graan (Bath), Michael Cheika (Leicester), Alex Sanderson (Sale) and George Skivington (Gloucester) flanker Henry Pollock, who has enjoyed a meteoric rise this season to earn his first England cap and be included in the Lions squad for the summer tour of Australia, is among the nominees for the breakthrough player of the is joined by Gloucester prop Afolabi Fasogbon, Sale prop Asher Opoku-Fordjour and Leicester centre Joseph winners will be announced at the Rugby Awards in London on Tuesday 3 the first time, awards for Premiership Rugby, Premiership Women's Rugby, the Rugby Players' Association and Rugby Football Union will be presented at the same event. England and Tigers' Jones on two shortlists England and Leicester Tigers back Meg Jones finds herself on two shortlists at the 28-year-old is nominated for both the Premiership Women's Rugby (PWR) and England women's player of the is joined on the national team shortlist by Red Roses captain Zoe Aldcroft, winger Abby Dow and prop Maud other nominees for the PWR prize are England team-mates Ellie Kildunne (Harlequins), Emma Sing (Gloucester Hartpury) and Sarah Bern (Bristol Bears) plus Exeter Chiefs' United States international Hope Rogers. Lions captain Maro Itoje, winger Tommy Freeman, back-rower Tom Curry and prop Will Stuart are up for the England men's team player of the women's coach Sean Lynn is nominated for the PWR director of rugby of the season award after leading Gloucester Hartpury to a third-straight is up against Dave Ward (Bristol Bears), Ross Chisholm (Harlequins) and Nathan Smith (Loughborough Lightning). Full Rugby Awards shortlist Premiership player of the seasonThomas du Toit (Bath)George Ford (Sale Sharks)Finn Russell (Bath)Tomos Williams (Gloucester)Tom Willis (Saracens)Breakthrough player of the seasonAfolabi Fasogbon (Gloucester)Asher Opoku-Fourjour (Sale Sharks)Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints)Joseph Woodward (Leicester Tigers)Director of rugby of the seasonMichael Cheika (Leicester Tigers)Alex Sanderson (Sale Sharks)George Skivington (Gloucester)Johann van Graan (Bath)Community player of the seasonEllis Genge (Bristol Bears)Olly Hartley (Saracens)Lewis Ludlow (Gloucester)Will Muir (Bath)England men's player of the seasonTom Curry (Sale Sharks)Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints)Maro Itoje (Saracens)Will Stuart (Bath)England women's player of the seasonZoe Aldcroft (Gloucester Hartpury)Abby Dow (Trailfinders)Meg Jones (Leicester TigersMaud Muir (Gloucester Hartpury)Premiership Women's Rugby player of the seasonSarah Bern (Bristol Bears)Ellie Kildunne (Harlequins)Meg Jones (Leicester Tigers)Hope Rogers (Exeter Chiefs)Emma Sing (Gloucester Hartpury)Premiership Women's Rugby breakthrough player of the seasonLilli Ives Campion (Loughborough Lightning)Millie David (Bristol Bears)Claudia Pena (Harlequins)Niamh Swailes (Sale Sharks)Premiership Women's Rugby director of rugby of the seasonRoss Chisholm (Harlequins)Sean Lynn (Gloucester Hartpury)Nathan Smith (Loughborough Lightning)Dave Ward (Bristol Bears)Premiership Women's Rugby top try scorerMay Campbell (Saracens) - 16Millie David (Bristol Bears) - 16
BBC News
14-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Care homes in danger if visa rules change
A care home manager said new government proposals designed to cut immigration could be disastrous for the care nearly 20 years, Meg Jones has been the manager of the Rose Lodge Care Home in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, which caters for 58 residents with varying medical Monday Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer unveiled plans to ban the recruitment of care workers from overseas as part of a strategy to reduce net migration "significantly" over the next four Jones said if this happened it would leave a "large black hole" for care homes that depend on overseas workers to operate. Ms Jones estimated that about 25% of her staff were migrant workers, but she knew that other homes employed more carers and nurses from abroad. "There is some truth to the thought that British people don't want to work in care, but many British people do want to work in health and social care - just not enough of them. "It's not a job for everybody, you have to be a certain type of person."It is hard work, long hours, it's weekends, it's evenings, but the rewards you get from seeing someone smile at you when you've brightened their day is priceless," she said. Khaye Rieta, 22, who works as a carer at Rose Lodge, was born in the Philippines."My mum was married to a British guy and I was dependant on their visa, we had to do a lot of tests, it was a long process to gain entry to the UK," she said."We are really caring people, I was at college doing a different career and started working here and now I think care is my future, I'd like to train to be a nurse," she Rieta said she loves making a positive difference to people's lives and that she has not gone into the care industry for the money."We do care work because we actually do care, you have to have a lot of care courage and you have to be committed to it. "Dementia patients can be a challenge but if a resident wants something, we try and give it to them," said Ms Rieta. Nadra Ahmed, the chair of the National Care Association, said: "The reality is that we can't recruit local people to undertake this critical role, so we have had to choose the more costly route of using the foreign visa scheme, which was put in place to tackle the workforce crisis we faced in the sector post Brexit and Covid."Without [the visa scheme] we will have to limit what we can deliver, and in some cases that will mean the services are not viable. "They will have no options but to close and this will impact of those we support." A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: "This government will reduce reliance on international workers in adult social care and boost the recruitment and retention of homegrown talent."We recognise the scale of reform needed to make adult social care attractive as a career."That is why we are introducing a new Fair Pay Agreement and implementing the first universal career structure, giving care workers better pay, conditions, and new opportunities." Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Telegraph
29-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Wales v England: Lineups and latest updates from women's Six Nations
4:04PM Meg Jones: I'm trying to rationalise losing both parents in four months Meg Jones throws open her front door and her dog, tail wagging, greets his latest visitor. As Jones watches Joey waddle down the drive, his huge eyes easily discernible in the crisp winter mist, a warm smile flickers across her face. The King Charles Spaniel has been the England rugby player's dearest companion of late. Last year, Jones lost both of her parents in the space of four months. She had not long returned from the Paris Games, where she became a two-time Olympian with Great Britain's sevens team, when her father, Simon, died from lung cancer. Four months later, in early December, she lost her mother, Paula, who had spent the majority of her life dealing with alcoholism and addiction. With the help of Joey, who belonged to Paula, Jones is navigating the unpredictable cycle of grief. Jones admits she was never a dog person before she inherited her four-legged friend, but the pair have now become inseparable and even have matching khaki coats for our walk around Morley Quarry on the outskirts of Shepshed, Leicestershire, near Jones's home. 'Every time I speak about it, I find a new way of rationalising it,' says the 28-year-old, in her first newspaper interview since losing both of her parents. 'It's cathartic. I know I'm not the first person and I know I won't be the last to experience consecutive deaths. It's more common than you probably realise.' For more from Fiona Tomas' interview with England's starting outside centre today, click here. 3:51PM Teams England starting XV: Ellie Kildunne (Harlequins); Abby Dow (Ealing Trailfinders), Meg Jones (Leicester Tigers), Tatyana Heard (Gloucester-Hartpury), Jess Breach (Saracens); Zoe Harrison (Saracens), Natasha Hunt (Gloucester-Hartpury); Mackenzie Carson (Gloucester-Hartpury), Lark Atkin-Davies (Bristol Bears), Sarah Bern (Bristol Bears), Morwenna Talling (Sale Sharks), Abbie Ward (Bristol Bears), Zoe Aldcroft (Gloucester-Hartpury, captain), Sadia Kabeya (Loughborough Lightning), Maddie Feaunati (Exeter Chiefs). Replacements: Amy Cokayne (Leicester Tigers), Hannah Botterman (Bristol Bears), Maud Muir (Gloucester-Hartpury), Rosie Galligan (Saracens), Abi Burton (Ealing Trailfinders), Lucy Packer (Harlequins), Holly Aitchison (Bristol Bears), Helena Rowland (Loughborough Lightning). Wales starting XV: Jasmine Joyce (Bristol Bears); Lisa Neumann (Harlequins), Hannah Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury, captain), Kayleigh Powell (Harlequins), Carys Cox (Ealing Trailfinders); Lleucu George (Gloucester-Hartpury), Keira Bevan (Bristol Bears); Gwenllian Pyrs (Sale Sharks), Carys Phillips (Harlequins), Jenni Scoble (Gwalia Lightning), Abbie Fleming (Harlequins), Gwen Crabb (Gloucester-Hartpury), Kate Williams (Gloucester-Hartpury), Bethan Lewis (Gloucester-Hartpury), Georgia Evans (Saracens). Replacements: Kelsey Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury), Maisie Davies (Gwalia Lightning), Donna Rose (Saracens), Alaw Pyrs (Gwalia Lightning), Bryonie King (Gwalia Lightning), Meg Davies (Gloucester-Hartpury), Courtney Keight (Bristol Bears), Nel Metcalfe (Gloucester-Hartpury). 3:46PM Match preview England's quest for yet another Women's Six Nations title continues in Cardiff as they travel across The Severn to take on old foes Wales at the Principality Stadium. With a home World Cup on the horizon later this year, their preparations continue as they look to win their seventh straight Six Nations title and a fourth consecutive Grand Slam. John Michell's side began their campaign with a 38-5 home victory over Italy last Sunday. Maddie Feaunati, who was player of the match last week against Italy, has spoken highly of head coach Mitchell. 'He [John Mitchell] really understands us as people first rather than players, there is a deep connection within the squad and also him. He asks us about our personal lives and opens up to us which I think is important if you want to build that trust and friendship.' 'It is so surreal to be playing with the players around me. It is exciting and I am always pinching myself that this is what I am doing right now. I will never take it for granted so I will always keep pushing for more.' Wales, who finished bottom last year, lost their opening game narrowly in Scotland last weekend. That game was Sean Lynn's first game in charge of the Welsh after guiding Gloucester-Hartpury to a third successive Premiership Women's Rugby title and he is exited about the challenge facing his side against a team of England's calibre. 'To have so many of the Welsh rugby family recognise these players as representing them and turning out to support is an exciting and humbling moment for all the players, coaches and staff. We took the first step of this team's new journey against Scotland and the prospect of playing in front of a record rugby crowd at the home of Welsh rugby, the Principality Stadium, is recognition of the growth in the women's game. The players have been told to be brave and to believe in their ability to compete at the highest level. Most of this squad play in England and train alongside the Red Roses. 'Defensively we have to be on point, mistakes are going to happen but it is that fight I want to see from the girls. When you are growing up it is all about Wales v England, and playing in the Principality with a record crowd it is something we are really proud of. We are so excited and it is what these girls deserve, playing at the Principality and having 18,000. I am hoping we are going to get to the 20,000 mark. We have set out some small challenges for us, what we want to be getting out of it, I just want to make sure that we can put England in a tough place and see how they react. Sport is about pressure.' England have won their last eight encounters with Wales, including a 46-10 home victory in Bristol last year. They have won 20 of their previous 22 Six Nations matches against Wales. More than 18,000 tickets have been sold for the game, which is a record for a women's sports event in Wales. Kick-off from Cardiff is at 4.45pm.
