England women's rugby union captain Meg Jones has called for better fertility support and access to egg freezing for players, arguing that athletes should not have to choose between their careers and starting a family. Speaking to BBC Sport, Jones questioned why having a family should be taken away from athletes who are pursuing their careers. She revealed she has begun exploring fertility options with her fiancé, including visiting a clinic to assess their egg count. Initially, the couple considered egg freezing but were advised to wait until after their wedding before trying to conceive. The England women's rugby team, known as the Red Roses, is recognized for having one of the best maternity policies in international women's sports. Two recent World Cup winners have given birth, and two more are expecting. The Rugby Football Union (RFU), which governs the team, stated that it supports players in making decisions about fertility and family planning and is proud of its leading support in this area. The RFU has comprehensive maternity and parental policies in place and is open to exploring how that support can be improved. While there is currently no specific policy offering financial compensation for fertility treatments for England players, the RFU is reportedly considering such support in the future. Players are currently entitled to one week of paid leave per treatment cycle for appointments and procedures. Jones first brought the issue to light on "The Good, The Scaz & The Rugby" podcast, discussing the Spanish football federation’s announcement that it would fund egg freezing for its international women’s players. In August, Chelsea Women announced a partnership with a fertility company to provide players with workshops, treatments, counseling, and assessments. A fund set up by Chelsea was revealed to cover the cost of the entire squad freezing their eggs. Speaking before England's match against Australia, Jones said she hadn’t previously considered the lack of fertility support from a governing body’s perspective but had since realized its importance. She noted that the issue had been raised within the team and emphasized the value of learning from other teams to support women in sport and beyond.