Meg Lay, 29, is a former crop farmer from Christchurch and now the groundswoman at Lord’s Cricket Ground.

She moved to the UK in 2022 and has set historic firsts in sports turf management; using her platform to champion women and defy stereotypes in a traditionally male-dominated sector.

Meg became the first female member of ground staff at the Home of Cricket.

In 2023, she led an all-women’s grounds team at Edgbaston Cricket Ground to prepare the pitch for an international Women’s Ashes match – a first in professional cricket.

The following year, she was part of an all-female grounds team at Emirates Stadium for the Women’s Super League tournament.

In 2025, Meg participated in the all-female grounds team at Twickenham for the Women’s Rugby World Cup Final, marking the first time in history that a women-only grounds team had prepared a Rugby World Cup final surface. She is now employed to work matchdays at Twickenham Stadium.

Meg has prepared pitches for elite sport and advocated for inclusivity in sports turf management.

She has served as co-Chair of GMA NextGen, a group of talented young professionals who serve as ambassadors for the grounds management industry, and she is a member of the Women in Cricket Employee Network.

Meg is an inspiration and changemaker.