 Jones at the Welsh Rugby Grand Slam Homecoming, March 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1985-09-19)19 September 1985 (age 40) Swansea, Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Height | 198 cm (6 ft 6 in)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 121 kg (267 lb; 19 st 1 lb)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Llandovery College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | Swansea University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Alun Wyn Jones[2][3]OBE (born 19 September 1985) is a Welsh formerrugby union player who played as alock. He played most of his career for theOspreys and for theWales national team. He isthe world's most-capped rugby union player, with 158 caps for Wales and 12 for theBritish & Irish Lions, and also holds the records for the most Wales caps[4] and the second-most Wales caps as captain. He retired from rugby in 2023.
Jones was the captain of the British & Irish Lions for their2021 tour to South Africa, and is one of only four players to have been selected to play on four Lions tours,[nb 1] in 2009, 2013, 2017 and 2021. He is one of seven Wales players to have won threeGrand Slams.[nb 2] He was named the best player of the2019 Six Nations Championship and was nominated forWorld Player of the Year in 2015 and 2019.
Jones was born inSwansea to Tim Jones, a solicitor, and Ann Jones, a secondary school teacher. Both Jones' father and grandfather had previously played rugby for Swansea.[7] Jones grew up inMumbles, initially playing football before switching to rugby whilst at Oystermouth Primary School. For his secondary education, he attendedBishop Gore School and joinedBonymaen RFC at age 11. At 16, Jones joinedLlandovery College on a partial scholarship.[citation needed]
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Jones played forSwansea RFC while in the Ospreys Academy. Jones made his Ospreys debut on 4 September 2005 in a 22–20 win overLeinster[8] and having made several appearances as a replacement, Jones made his first Ospreys start againstBorder Reivers later that month.[9]
After a disappointing first season in which Ospreys finished 6th in the2005–06 Celtic League, Jones went on to win the2006–07 Celtic League title, the first trophy of his career.
Jones played in the2008 Anglo-Welsh Cup final againstLeicester, scoring the second try as Ospreys ran out 6–23 winners.[10]
On 23 August 2010, the Ospreys announced that Jones would succeed Welsh teammate Ryan Jones as club captain for the 2010–11 season. The decision was made, in part, soRyan Jones could concentrate on the national captaincy during a busyWorld Cup year.[11]
On 9 December 2016, Jones broke the Ospreys' record for the highest try scoring forward as he touched down for his 21st try.[12]
On 7 July 2023, Jones would sign for French teamToulon as a cover during the2023 Rugby World Cup held in France.[13][14] On 18 November, he would be made captain for the last match of his career in aTop14 match against Clermont. He received a standing ovation from the crowd.[15]
On 28 May 2023, Jones captained theBarbarians to a 48-42 victory over a World XV.[16] Three days later, Jones played for both the Barbarians andSwansea RFC, swapping teams at half-time, in a game atthe St Helen's ground, celebrating Swansea's 150th anniversary.[17]
On 4 November 2023, Jones played for the Barbarians against Wales at thePrincipality Stadium.[18] Jones captained the Barbarians, scored a try, and was named man of the match, despite losing 49-26.[19]
Jones represented Wales at both under-18 and under-21 level, completing a Grand Slam at the 2005 under-21 Six Nations Championship.[20]
Jones made his senior Wales debut during the2006 Summer Tests, starting at flanker as Wales lost toArgentina in successive games.[21] Jones would secure his first Wales win against thePacific Islanders at theMillennium Stadium in the2006 Autumn Internationals. Jones' first appearance at lock would occur in the following game, a victory overCanada, ahead of a permanent switch from then on.
Jones became first choice lock ahead of the2007 Six Nations, appearing in all 5 games. Disappointing performances however saw Wales finish 5th in the standings, securing their only win of the tournament on the final day againstEngland.[22] Jones scored his first Wales try during the2007 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches, crossing the line in a 27–20 win overArgentina.[23] Jones was selected at lock in Wales opening2007 Rugby World Cup pool game againstCanada, scoring on his World Cup debut as Wales ran out unconvincing 42–17 victors.[24] Following defeat toAustralia inCardiff, Jones would score again againstJapan at theMillennium Stadium in the third pool game, increasing their chances to qualify. Unfortunately, Wales would fall to defeat in the final game againstFiji, crashing out of the World Cup at the pool stage.[25]
Jones started in Wales' opening game of the2008 Six Nations against England, achieving a first win atTwickenham in 20 years.[26] Jones would miss the following two games, victories over Scotland and Italy due to injury[27] before returning for the final games against Ireland and France. Wales would complete their secondGrand Slam in four years, and a first for Jones.[28] Jones scored his first Six Nations try in the opening game of the2009 championship against Scotland atMurrayfield.[29] In the penultimate game of the tournament against Italy, Jones was selected to captain Wales for the first time, becoming the 126th player to do so.[30]
On 18 January 2010, he was named in the 35-man Wales squad for the 2010 Six Nations tournament.[31] In the first game against England, Jones tripped hookerDylan Hartley, for which he was sent to the sin-bin. During his 10 minutes there, England scored 17 points and went on to victory. Coach Warren Gatland later criticised Jones for the offence, saying it cost Wales the game.[32]
2014 saw Jones captain Wales three times – once against Italy and twice against South Africa. In the 2014 Autumn Internationals, he scored a try in Wales's 28–33 loss to Australia.
In the2015 Six Nations, he formed a second row partnership withLuke Charteris and won two man-of-the-match awards during the tournament, earning them against Scotland and Italy.
Jones made his 100th appearance when Wales faced South Africa in the quarter-finals of the2015 Rugby World Cup but Wales were knocked out of the competition with South Africa winning 23–19.
Jones took part in the2016 Six Nations and was originally paired withLuke Charteris who was then replaced byBradley Davies. Jones suffered an injury in the penultimate game against England in the tournament and was replaced with a returning Charteris. Jones returned to action on the 2016 tour to New Zealand, playing his 100th test for Wales in the first test against New Zealand – his 106th appearance. His 100th Welsh test ended in disappointment with New Zealand beating Wales 39–21, going on to win the series 3–0.
He took part in the 2016 autumn internationals but had to miss the first match due to the death of his father. He returned to play Argentina in which he won the man of the match award.[33] Jones took over fromSam Warburton as captain of the Welsh squad for the2017 Six Nations.[34]
In 2019, Jones captained Wales in theirGrand Slam victory and was named Player of the Championship in a public vote.[35] It was later established that Jones suffered knee ligament damage early in the Grand Slam decider againstIreland.[36][37] Following the game, he was referred to byJonathan Davies and others as "the greatest ever" Welsh rugby player.[3][38]
On 29 September 2019, in a game against Australia at the2019 Rugby World Cup, he became Wales' most-capped player, overtaking the record of 129 caps held byGethin Jenkins.[39]
On 24 October 2020, Jones equalledRichie McCaw's record for the most international appearances, 148 caps, during Wales' 38–21 loss to France.[40] A week later he set a new record, winning his 149th cap against Scotland.[41] On 19 March 2022 he lost his 150th cap, at homeagainst Italy.[42]
On 19 May 2023, Jones announced his immediate retirement from international rugby along with fellow Welsh internationalJustin Tipuric.[43]
In 2009, Jones was one of 13 Welsh players selected in the squad for theBritish & Irish Lions'tour to South Africa. Jones appeared in the provincial matches againstRoyal XV, when he scored his first Lions try,Golden Lions, andSharks. Jones then started the first test alongsidePaul O'Connell againstSouth Africa, with the team losing 26–21 inDurban. Jones appeared as a replacement in the remaining two tests, a defeat and a win, as the series ended in a 2–1 defeat for the Lions. In total he played 24 games across 4 tours (including 12 tests) scoring 2 tries.
Jones received his second Lions selection on 30 April 2013, for thetour to Australia. Jones played and scored in a warm up game against theBarbarians before appearing in provincial games againstWestern Force,Combined Country andWaratahs. Jones started at Lock in the first test, playing a role in a 23–21 win, as well as in the second test defeat inMelbourne. Due to Sam Warburton's tour-ending injury in the second test, Jones was selected as captain for the deciding third test inSydney,[44] which the Lions won 41–16. This made him the first substitute captain to lead the Lions to victory in the final test of a series since1904.[45]
On 19 April 2017, Jones was again selected for the Lions ahead of theirtour to New Zealand. Jones captained the Lions for the second time in the provincial game against theCrusaders as the Lions won 3–12. Jones was once again first choice Lock for the tour, starting at 4 in the first test and 5 in the second and third and left New Zealand as the first player in the professional era to play in nine consecutive British & Irish Lions tests.[46] During theLions tour he became one of only seven Lions players to have beatenSouth Africa,Australia andNew Zealand while touring these countries, following the 24–21 win in the second test. Jones started in all three tests of the series against the All Blacks.
On 6 May 2021, Jones was selected and named captain of the British and Irish Lions for theirtour to South Africa.[47] He dislocated his shoulder in the warm-up match against Japan in Edinburgh on 26 June but returned to play in the successful first test win against the Springboks four weeks later. Jones played in all three tests to reach 12 British and Irish Lions caps.South Africa won the final test 19–16 and the series by two games to one.[48]
| Try | Opponent | Location | Venue | Tests | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Argentina | Cardiff, Wales | Millennium Stadium | 2007 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches | 18 August 2007 | Win |
| 2 |  Canada | Nantes, France | Stade de la Beaujoire | 2007 Rugby World Cup | 9 September 2007 | Win |
| 3 |  Japan | Cardiff, Wales | Millennium Stadium | 2007 Rugby World Cup | 20 September 2007 | Win |
| 4 |  Scotland | Edinburgh, Scotland | Murrayfield | 2009 Six Nations | 8 February 2009 | Win |
| 5 |  South Africa | Cardiff, Wales | Millennium Stadium | 2010 Summer Internationals | 5 June 2010 | Loss |
| 6 | Argentina | Cardiff, Wales | Millennium Stadium | 2011 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches | 20 August 2011 | Win |
| 7 |  Namibia | New Plymouth, New Zealand | Yarrow Stadium | 2011 Rugby World Cup | 26 September 2011 | Win |
| 8 |  Australia | Cardiff, Wales | Millennium Stadium | 2014 Autumn Internationals | 8 November 2014 | Loss |
| 9 |  New Zealand | Wellington, New Zealand | Westpac Stadium | 2016 Tour of New Zealand | 18 June 2016 | Loss |
Jones and his wife, Dr. Anwen Jones, have three daughters.[citation needed]
Jones studied part-time for a degree in law atSwansea University, graduating on 21 July 2010.[49]
Jones was appointedOfficer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the2020 Birthday Honours for services to rugby union in Wales.[50] He was invested, byPrince William, in a ceremony atWindsor Castle, on 9 November 2021.[51]
Belonging: The Autobiography, 2021, Pan MacmillanISBN 978-1529058093
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Wales captain 2017–2023 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | British & Irish Lions captain 2021 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
