Gwyn Jones (rugby player)

For the Welsh author of the same name, see Gwyn Jones (author)

Rhodri Gwyn Jones (born 5 October 1972)^[1] is a former Wales international rugby union player.

Jones was educated at Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Pontybrenin, then Ysgol Gyfun Gwŷr. He went onto Llandovery College and then Cardiff Medical School, where he played for Cardiff Medicals RFC.

Jones was a natural rugby player with obvious flair. He captained Wales at under 15 and under 17 level. He also won five caps for the under 18 level.

He soon progressed to the Senior stage winning 13 caps for Wales, five of which as captain. He was the 109th Captain of Wales.

His first cap was against Italy in 1996 and his last against New Zealand in 1997. Jones scored one international try.

Jones suffered a spinal injury playing in his normal position of open-side flanker for his club Cardiff against Swansea in December 1997.^[2] For five days after the accident he was unable to move from the chest down even though X-rays showed his spinal cord to be severely compressed rather than broken.^[3] At the time of the accident he was 25 years old, captain of Wales and having attained 13 caps was expected to have a long and distinguished playing career.

Jones never played again, but after an operation and extensive rehabilitation, which included learning to stand and walk again, he recovered sufficiently to develop a career as a rugby critic on television and returned to his career as a doctor in Cardiff.

In 2002 the Welsh Rugby Former International Players' Association and the Welsh Rugby Union honoured Jones with a Bravery Award.^[4]

His great uncle, Ivor Jones, was capped by Wales and toured Australia and New Zealand in 1930 with the British and Irish Lions. He also served as president of the Welsh Rugby Union.

References