Ryan Jones

Ryan Jones was born in Newport on 13 March 1981 and is one of only 13 Welshmen to have won three Grand Slams, which is achieved by beating all other nations in the Five or Six Nations Championship. In the first golden era there were Slams in 1908, 1909 and 1911. Billy Trew and Jim Webb played in all 12 games in those three seasons, while Johnny Williams managed 11, George Travers and Dickie Owen 10 each and Tom Evans nine appearances.

The next hat-trick heroes came in the seventies – JPR Williams, Sir Gareth Edwards and Sir Gerald Davies – with Adam Jones, Gethin Jenkins and Ryan Jones following suit in 2005, 2008 and 2012. The last one to join the list was Alun Wyn Jones, when he captained the 2019 team to success to add to his 2008 and 2012 titles.

Jones was captain of the Welsh side that won the title in 2008 and led his country on a then record 33 occasions during a 75 cap career. He also played in three Tests for the British & Irish Lions in New Zealand in 2005 and was called out to South Africa in 2009, but was unable to play due to a head injury

A converted footballer, Jones only took up rugby at the age of 17 at Risca RFC. He made one appearance for Newport, a dozen for Bridgend and then became part of the Celtic Warriors regional squad in 2003. When the Warriors were shut down after only one season he joined the Ospreys.

He made 150 appearances for the Ospreys and helped them to win the Celtic League in 2005 and 2007, and the Anglo-Welsh Cup in 2008. He took over the captaincy at the region in 2007 and steered the Ospreys to two more triumphs in the Magners League in 2008 and 2010, beating Leinster in the final in Dublin on both occasions.

His Wales debut came against South Africa in Cardiff in November 2004 and he was outstanding in Wales’ 2005 Grand Slam campaign – their first for 27 years. Warren Gatland made his Wales captain in 2008, when Wales secured another Grand Slam. He was one of five players nominated for the World Rugby Player of the Year title in 2008, the award eventually going to his Wales and Ospreys teammate Shane Williams.

Jones also played in three of the five games the following season when Wales retained the Six Nations title before picking up his third Slam in 2012.

He was appointed MBE in the 2021 Birthday Honours list for services to rugby union and charitable fundraising in Wales