Meg Jones has challenged other unions to match England’s investment in order to increase the competitiveness of the Women’s Six Nations.
England have not lost a Women’s Six Nations fixture since 2018 and have won every championship since, securing a Grand Slam in all but the Covid-affected year of 2021.
Last weekend, despite numerous absentees because of both injury and pregnancy, the world champions demolished Scotland 84-7 at Murrayfield in front of a record crowd for a Scottish women’s sporting fixture. The Red Roses remain on course for an eighth consecutive championship title, with Wales at Ashton Gate on Saturday and trips to both Italy and France to come, but Jones has called on the other five nations to increase resources for their women’s sides.
“You always want it to be a close game,” the Red Roses captain said. “You see the scoreline when you haven’t watched it and you think it could probably do with a bit more of a competitive edge. Do we want to see a continuation of development in other nations? Yes, that’s always going to be the way because we want the women’s game to be elevated.
“We want it to be a global sport. We want people to watch it here, there and everywhere. We also want the backing of every nation in today’s sport. That’s a given. Yes, we’ve got our own stuff that we’re trying to push and raise the bar. I want those Scottish girls to get the pathway, the funding they deserve, and the infrastructure they all deserve.
“It hasn’t happened overnight. Yes, we’re a dominant force, but it’s because of all the things in the background that we’re willing to invest in. What other nations should be doing is, ‘Right, what are they doing? Because it’s clearly working.’
“But it does cost money. And getting those marketing deals right, the commercial deals, all these things. We speak to the other nations and we always feed off each other. We want to grow the game together and we want to make sure we’re doing it in the right direction.”
England have experienced crowds of 77,000 and 30,498 in this year’s Six Nations, with 27,000 expected on Saturday. It is evidence of a sport on the up. “I was in the back pitch in Calgary in Canada and there must have been about 10 people for my first cap,” Jones added. “For them to have all these numbers is remarkable.”
Jones, who has 35 caps for England, faces a unique experience this weekend: leading out the Red Roses against the country of her birth. The centre will be captaining a starting XV that features seven personnel changes, including Millie David, the Bristol Bears wing who will make her Test debut against Wales.
David, who has 26 tries in 31 Premiership Women’s Rugby matches, will feature in a back three at a sold-out Ashton Gate where Ellie Kildunne will revert to her usual position of full-back and Claudia Moloney-MacDonald will return to the starting line-up. Lilli Ives Campion joins the growing list of second-row absentees with a short-term knee injury, so Delaney Burns will make her first England appearance since 2023.
England v Wales, 2.15pm, Saturday, Ashton Gate, live on BBC Two
England starting XV: Ellie Kildunne; Millie David, Meg Jones (captain), Helena Rowland, Claudia Moloney-MacDonald; Holly Aitchison, Lucy Packer; Mackenzie Carson, Amy Cokayne, Sarah Bern, Abi Burton, Delaney Burns, Sadia Kabeya, Marlie Packer, Maddie Feaunati.
Replacements: Connie Powell, Kelsey Clifford, Maud Muir, Haineala Lutui, Demelza Short, Flo Robinson, Zoe Harrison, Jess Breach.