England centre Meg Jones says the loss of both her parents means they will be at Principality Stadium “in a different light” for the Women’s Six Nations match against Wales on Saturday.
The 28-year-old lost her parents in quick succession, with her father passing away from lung cancer last summer before her mother died four months later.
Cardiff-born Jones, who starts at outside centre against Wales, will be playing her first Red Roses game since their deaths.
“I am aware you get a lot of firsts, this week [on Sunday] is the first Mother’s Day and the first time I am in an England shirt without both of them,” Jones told BBC Sport’s Rugby Union Weekly.
“It is just about seeing them in a different light and I will always think they are in the crowd. I would never have seen them anyway.
“I’ll have moments now where I think they are just at home and I will see them in a couple of weeks.
“They will just be in the crowd cheering me on like they always do.”
Jones’ mother struggled with alcoholism, which the England back says “spiralled” following her father’s death.
The Leicester Tigers centre, who has been capped 21 times, now volunteers as a patron at charity The Living Room to help people tackle the problems her mother faced.
“The idea is to help people with drug and alcohol abuse to navigate through it because it is a really hard journey to do on your own, but you need the guidance to push you through that,” she added.
“I am proud and honoured to say that I am affiliated with them.”
