Megan Jones: Rugby Sevens co-captain flying the GB flag at European Games
- Published
Megan Jones represented Team GB at the Olympics in 2021, having been a travelling reserve at the 2016 Games
Megan Jones, the Cardiff-born Welsh speaker who plays rugby for England, will be flying the flag for both nations at the European Games.
Jones, 26, will co-captain the Great Britain Sevens women's team at the tournament, where Olympic qualification is on the line.
She says her Welsh father will enjoy seeing her in British colours.
"My dad loves the fact we're Great Britain at the moment - he's a proud Welshman," Jones said.
"To be one of the 12 or 13 that get to wear this shirt is a huge honour."
The European Games, in Poland, present a chance for Britain's male and female sides to secure qualification for the 2024 Olympics, with the sevens competition to take place between 25-27 June.
A final Olympic qualifying tournament in June 2024 offers another potential path to Paris, but Britain's women would book their Olympic spot should they win gold at the European Games, while silver might also be enough.
Jones, who joined Leicester Tigers from Wasps earlier this month, will captain the team alongside Abbie Brown.
"I think I'm naturally a leader," Jones said. "Growing up my dad always said I'm bossy."
GB's men and women spent time preparing for the European Games at a training camp in Cardiff.
Jones grew up in the Welsh capital but moved to England - the land of her mother - as a teenager to play rugby at Hartpury.
It was that move which led to fly-half Jones representing England. She has 12 caps in the 15-a-side game and featured at the 2017 World Cup, where she started in the final against New Zealand.
"In any elite sport, I think it's vital that you get the best out of it for yourself," Jones said.
"Yes it's a team sport, yes obviously you're going to have similar goals and aspirations, but every individual will have their own aspirations as well.
"Mine was to be the best I could possibly be, playing at the highest standard I possibly could.
"At that time, England was the best choice for me and continues to be that choice for me.
"I'll continue to represent England within GB as well and hopefully in the future."
Perhaps Jones' story would have been different had she been a teenager now, with the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) having committed itself to raising standards in the women's game.
The WRU issued full-time contracts to players for the first time in 2022, and Jones feels progress is being made.
"You've seen a massive turn now in women's sport, women's rugby in particular," she said.
"I know the WRU have put some money into it. Money talks at the end of the day - if you don't invest in something you're not going to get anything out of it.
"We've seen even with the Welsh girls, huge credit to them, they got professional for one year and they are delivering."
