Three Pregnant Red Roses Train at Six Nations Camp
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- Zoe Stratford, Abbie Ward and Lark Atkin-Davies are continuing to take part in England's pre-tournament training camp while pregnant, doing non-contact drills, though all three will miss the Women's Six Nations itself.
- England kick off their 2026 Women's Six Nations against Ireland on Saturday April 11 at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, in front of a 60,000-strong crowd — with centre Megan Jones captaining in Stratford's absence.
- Sadia Kabeya told Sky Sports that "up until a couple of years ago, we didn't know it could be done — you couldn't be a professional rugby player and have a child," calling the three pregnant teammates an inspiration for fans of "any gender or generation."
- Megan Jones said the three babies could be "the next Red Roses coming through" in 18 years and dismissed the notion that pregnant women shouldn't train as "this massive myth," adding "we don't just get pregnant and then that's the end of us."
- The Red Roses won their first Women's World Cup in 11 years on home soil and, per the source, are now "continuing to set an example off the pitch" — with five Six Nations tests ahead starting at Twickenham.
Why it matters: Three Red Roses publicly training through pregnancy during a major tournament camp reframes what is expected of professional women athletes, and the timing — right before a 60,000-strong Twickenham opener on April 11 — maximizes how many fans, aspiring players and rival federations see it. Megan Jones's own framing directly challenges the "myth" that pregnant women cannot train, turning a personal pregnancy announcement into a visible policy precedent inside the England squad.
