Jack Jones (rugby union, born 1886)

John Phillips Jones (3 March 1886 – 19 March 1951) was a Welsh international centre who played club rugby for Pontypool Rugby Club and Newport Rugby Football Club. He won 14 caps for Wales and was known as The Prince of Centres.

Jack Jones

Birth name	John Phillips Jones
Date of birth	(1886-03-02)2 March 1886
Place of birth	Pontymoile, Wales
Date of death	19 March 1951(1951-03-19) (aged 65)
Place of death	Llantarnam, Wales
School	Christ College, Brecon
Notable relative(s)	Tuan Jones, brother Ponty Jones, brother
Rugby union career
Position(s) Centre Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 1902-1908 Pontypool RFC () 1903 Christ College, Brecon () 1905-1911 Monmouthshire () 1908-1910 Newport RFC () 1909 London Welsh () 1910-1921 Pontypool RFC () 1913 Barbarians () International career Years Team Apps (Points) 1908-1921 Wales[1] 14 (18) 1908-1910 British Isles 6 (7)

Rugby career

John 'Jack' Phillip Jones was born in Pontymoile, Pontypool in 1886, to David Jones and his wife Margaret (née Phillips). Jones was one of four brothers, who would all eventually play for Pontypool Rugby Club. Two of his brother, David and James, would, like Jack, eventually play international rugby for Wales. The Joneses along with the Goulds are the only family to provide three brothers to the Welsh international rugby union team.^[2]

Jones was first capped, at centre, making his debut against Australia in December, 1908. He would play for Wales a further 13 times and would probably have been capped far more times but for the cessation of international rugby during the years of the First World War.

Jones would play in two British Isles tours. The first was part of Arthur Harding's 1908 tour of Australasia, the second was to South Africa in 1910.

International matches played for Wales

Wales^[3]

•  Australia 1908
•  England 1909, 1910, 1912, 1921
•  France 1909, 1910, 1912, 1913, 1920^[4]
•  Ireland 1909, 1913, 1920
•  Scotland 1909

British Isles

•  New Zealand 1908, 1908, 1908
•  South Africa 1910, 1910, 1910

Bibliography

• Smith, David; Williams, Gareth (1980). Fields of Praise: The Official History of The Welsh Rugby Union. Cardiff: University of Wales Press. ISBN 0-7083-0766-3.
• Thomas, Wayne (1979). A Century of Welsh Rugby Players. Ansells Ltd.

References

1. Welsh Rugby Union player profiles
2. Thomas (1979), pg 50.
3. Smith (1980), pg 468.
4. Rugby Relics player profile