'I couldn’t grasp the concept of it': Annabel Meta on front-row move and Red Roses experience

We have become accustomed to seeing Annabel Meta plying her trade as a back-row forward across her early years in Premiership Women’s Rugby.

Now the 20-year-old Trailfinders Women product is getting used to life as a loosehead prop. A summer meeting with her club boss, Barney Maddison, set the wheels in motion to her move into the front-row.

It was a move that both her club side and international pathway coaches believed could be good for her.

With so much competition for places, particularly at her club after the offseason arrivals of Haidee Head and Rachel Malcolm, alongside the likes of Kate Zackary, Abi Burton and Grace Moore, specialising at loosehead could open the door to wearing a Red Roses shirt sooner than later.

There was an aspect of disappointment for Meta, who had moved from the backs to the pack as a teen.

Several months into the move and Meta would not change a thing. It almost feels like where she should have always been.

“He (Maddison) texted me like, can we talk?” Meta told RugbyPass. “I was thinking this could mean a lot of things and asked if he could give me a call.

“It was him on the call and our wellbeing mentor, Kim, who has been with me for most of my rugby journey since college.

“He basically said, how would you feel about moving into the front-row?

“I was really speechless. I had nothing to say. I didn’t know what to think about it.

“I spoke to Abi Burton about it. She gave me a couple of words. It was kind of hard to hear because I started as a centre and then transitioned into the back-row.

“I put a lot of work into that. It was a position I had worked so hard on and then had been asked to transition again. She helped me through that.

“After a couple of days I got back in touch and said I’ll try it out. It has been almost four months. I’ve actually enjoyed it way more than I did back-row. It feels like the position, specifically loosehead, just suits my playing style a lot more.”

So instead of being the next Alex Matthews, Meta is now more likely to be the next Hannah Botterman or Kelsey Clifford instead.

That is not to say that everything has been linear for the 20-year-old. She has spent hours honing her new craft on the training paddock. All of LJ Lewis (England U21 Women head coach), Nathan Catt (Red Roses scrum coach) and Marlen Walker (Brunel University and Ealing Trailfinders coach) have spent their time telling her what is what at scrum time.

 

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Now Meta feels as though she has got the basics down. Albeit there will always be more to learn. She made her propping debut against Trailfinders’ 57-10 win against Leicester Tigers in PWR.

“I’ve found joy in learning new things,” Meta said. “I’m allowed to be this explosive, hard-carrying player and now it’s just tuning in my set piece. It’s just learning the scrum. When I get it right, it’s so cool.”

It has also made Meta reflect on some of her efforts in the back-row.

“Now being a front-row, I did absolutely nothing in the back-row,” Meta laughed. “I just put my shoulder in and put a bit of weight on and called it a day.

“It has made me appreciate the front-row a lot more. Not that I didn’t before, there’s just a lot more appreciation now. They put in a lot of work to the scrum. There’s a lot more technicality to it.”

Already Meta has received some reward from her positional change. Alongside her fellow uncapped Trailfinders teammates Haidee Head, Jasmine Adroni and Hayley Jones, the 20-year-old was invited to the first Red Roses camp of 2026.

Told she was going to attend at the end of an England Under-21 Women’s training session by Charlie Hayter, it was news that caused plenty of excitement.

Just months before Meta had watched as Zoe Stratford lifted the Women’s Rugby World Cup at Allianz Stadium. Now she was among the squad and alongside athletes she had grown up watching and wanting to emulate.

“I was experiencing imposter syndrome the whole time,” Meta said. “I’ve played against some of these girls in PWR, but I’ve grown up watching them on the telly and in stadiums as a fan.

“Then, actually being around them and able to talk to them, I couldn’t grasp the concept of it.”

The same week that England visited Windsor Castle and 10 Downing Street, Meta got a crash course in being a Red Rose during her days at Pennyhill Park.

“It was pretty cool,” Meta beamed. “To get into their culture. It’s chiller than what I thought it would be. Everyone was really welcoming. It was a nice environment to be in.

“Zoe Stratford, it was so cool talking to her. Marlie Packer is actually so lovely. I talked to Abbie Ward as well, that was pretty cool. Just seeing the personalities. Like Sadia Kabeya. Hilarious. It was really nice to see. They’re just normal people. They’re not just the women I see on my TV.

“There wasn’t really any rugby involved, it was meetings, talking about how they felt post-World Cup and how they wanted to create this dynasty – this winning momentum. Trying not to lose what they have built and what they can bring into 2029.”

Meta has been one of the most experienced players named in a slew of LJ Lewis’ England U21 Women camps. Her five caps have only been surpassed by that of Ella Cromack, Sophie Hopkins and Carmela Morrall in recent weeks.

Now in her third season in the programme, it is the first year that women’s age grade rugby will operate under the Under-21 model. Designed to allow young players an extra year to develop, along with a select number of U23 players, and strengthen the pathways between age grade and senior Test rugby.

Set to play a game against Canada U21 in March, before a three fixture Under 21s Six Nations Series tournament, where they will play Scotland, Ireland and France.

With the first round coinciding with Round 2 of the Guinness Women’s Six Nations, teams will take part in a series of double headers designed to let fans see the next generation of stars sooner rather than later.

Having had plenty of time on the training field with the U21 group, there is plenty of reason to get excited with just over two months until their Six Nations gets underway.

“It’s my third year in Under-21 now,” Meta said. “Throughout each year I’ve a really good season with all the girls. This season, it has continued to be a good group and good people as well.

“We’ve all come together quite nicely. Everyone had gelled. Everyone is going to be fighting to eventually be part of that Six Nations squad, but everyone is supportive of each other.”