Chris Jones (rugby player)
Encyclopedia
Christopher Michael Jones (born 24 June 1980 in Manchester
) is an English
rugby union
footballer. He plays as a lock or flanker
for The Worcester Warriors in the Aviva Premiership.
His rugby union career blossomed at Stockport Grammar School
. He went on to take a Business Studies course at Sheffield Hallam University
and was two years into it when Sale Sharks
invited him to join them. He played for Cheshire at U18 and U20 level, then briefly with Fylde
before joining Sale Sharks
.
He made a startling rise to the England Sevens
squad, and was nominated for the 2003 PRA Young Player of the Year Award. He was part of the England A
team that beat France A
, Scotland A
and Italy A
in their 2003 Six Nations and also went on the unbeaten England tour to North America and Japan that year.
He played for England
in the uncapped match against the Barbarians
at Twickenham
in May 2003. His outstanding Line-out jumping has made him a constant threat to other Premiership
teams, while a series of long range tries for Sale Sharks
has underlined his athletic capabilities.
The year 2004 marked another leap forward. He was called up to the senior team by then head coach Clive Woodward
from the start of the Six Nations. He came off the bench against Italy
for his debut cap and promptly scored a try. This earned him a starting position against Scotland
as a flanker
and again against Wales
from where he continued to impress. He was selected for the 2004 Summer tour
, starting against the All Blacks
in Dunedin in the first Test.
Sale Sharks director of rugby Kingsley Jones referred to him as 'the most hard done-by player in England' after he was hardly used during the 2005 Autumn test series.
Jones went on to collect more caps
on the 2006 Summer tour of Australia
and 2007 Summer tour of South Africa.
Jones was awarded Player of the year for Sale sharks in 2006, the year Sale won the premiership and again in 2008.
Jones married Donna on 28 June 2008 at Dromoland castle, county Clare, Ireland. They live together in Mere, Cheshire.
Donna gave birth to their first Child on 10 April 2009, a boy, Daniel William Jones.
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
) is an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
footballer. He plays as a lock or flanker
Flanker (rugby union)
A flanker is a position in the sport of rugby union. Flankers play in the forwards, and are generally classified as either blindside, or openside flankers; numbers six and seven respectively. The name comes from their position in a scrum in which they flank each set of forwards...
for The Worcester Warriors in the Aviva Premiership.
His rugby union career blossomed at Stockport Grammar School
Stockport Grammar School
Stockport Grammar School is a co-educational independent school in Stockport, England, founded in 1487 by the 1482 Lord Mayor of London Sir Edmund Shaa.The school motto is "Vincit qui patitur" – He who endures, conquers....
. He went on to take a Business Studies course at Sheffield Hallam University
Sheffield Hallam University
Sheffield Hallam University is a higher education institution in South Yorkshire, England, based on two sites in Sheffield. City Campus is located in the city centre, close to Sheffield railway station, and Collegiate Crescent Campus is about two miles away, adjacent to Ecclesall Road in...
and was two years into it when Sale Sharks
Sale Sharks
Sale Sharks are a professional rugby union club who play in England in the Aviva Premiership.The club is an offshoot of Sale FC, which is based at Heywood Road in Sale, Greater Manchester, but Sharks currently play in Stockport at Edgeley Park, ground sharing with Stockport County F.C.Part of the...
invited him to join them. He played for Cheshire at U18 and U20 level, then briefly with Fylde
Fylde Rugby Club
Fylde Rugby Union Club is a rugby union club based in Lytham St Annes, on the Fylde coast in Lancashire, England. Its home venue is the Woodlands Memorial Ground on Blackpool Road in Ansdell...
before joining Sale Sharks
Sale Sharks
Sale Sharks are a professional rugby union club who play in England in the Aviva Premiership.The club is an offshoot of Sale FC, which is based at Heywood Road in Sale, Greater Manchester, but Sharks currently play in Stockport at Edgeley Park, ground sharing with Stockport County F.C.Part of the...
.
He made a startling rise to the England Sevens
England national rugby union team (sevens)
The English national rugby union sevens team compete in the World Sevens Series, Rugby World Cup Sevens and the Commonwealth Games.-Honours:* 1973 International Seven-A-Side Tournament - Winners* Rugby World Cup Sevens Winners 1993* Hong Kong Sevens Winners 2002* Hong Kong Sevens Winners 2003*...
squad, and was nominated for the 2003 PRA Young Player of the Year Award. He was part of the England A
England Saxons
England Saxons is the current name of England's men's second national rugby union team. The team has previously been known by a number of names, such as England B, Emerging England and, most recently, England A...
team that beat France A
France A national rugby union team
The France A national rugby union team, known previously as France XV national rugby union team and France B national rugby union team, are the second national rugby union team behind the French national side.-History:...
, Scotland A
Scotland A national rugby union team
The Scotland A team are the second national rugby union team behind the Scottish national side.-History:Scotland's status as one of the leading rugby nations in the Northern Hemisphere, made the SRU to field a second team, first known as Scotland XV, and currently as Scotland A, which can play at...
and Italy A
Italy A national rugby union team
The Italy A national rugby union team are the second national rugby union team in Italy after the national side. They compete every year in the IRB Nations Cup.-Fixtures:IRB Nations Cup 2010...
in their 2003 Six Nations and also went on the unbeaten England tour to North America and Japan that year.
He played for England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
in the uncapped match against the Barbarians
Barbarian F.C.
The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
at Twickenham
Twickenham Stadium
Twickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000...
in May 2003. His outstanding Line-out jumping has made him a constant threat to other Premiership
Guinness Premiership
The English Premiership, also currently known as the Aviva Premiership because of the league's sponsorship by Aviva, is a professional league competition for rugby union football clubs in the top division of the English rugby system. There are twelve clubs in the Premiership...
teams, while a series of long range tries for Sale Sharks
Sale Sharks
Sale Sharks are a professional rugby union club who play in England in the Aviva Premiership.The club is an offshoot of Sale FC, which is based at Heywood Road in Sale, Greater Manchester, but Sharks currently play in Stockport at Edgeley Park, ground sharing with Stockport County F.C.Part of the...
has underlined his athletic capabilities.
The year 2004 marked another leap forward. He was called up to the senior team by then head coach Clive Woodward
Clive Woodward
Sir Clive Ronald Woodward OBE is an English former rugby union player and coach. He was coach of the team from 1997 to 2004, managing them to victory in the 2003 Rugby World Cup. He is currently the British Olympic Association's Director of Elite Performance.-Early life:Woodward was born in Ely...
from the start of the Six Nations. He came off the bench against Italy
Italy national rugby union team
The Italy national rugby union team represent the nation of Italy in the sport of rugby union. The team is also known as the Azzurri . Italy have been playing international rugby since the late 1920s, and since 2000 compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland,...
for his debut cap and promptly scored a try. This earned him a starting position against Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
as a flanker
Flanker (rugby union)
A flanker is a position in the sport of rugby union. Flankers play in the forwards, and are generally classified as either blindside, or openside flankers; numbers six and seven respectively. The name comes from their position in a scrum in which they flank each set of forwards...
and again against Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
from where he continued to impress. He was selected for the 2004 Summer tour
2004 England rugby union tour of Australasia
-Matches:-Forwards:...
, starting against the All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
in Dunedin in the first Test.
Sale Sharks director of rugby Kingsley Jones referred to him as 'the most hard done-by player in England' after he was hardly used during the 2005 Autumn test series.
Jones went on to collect more caps
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
on the 2006 Summer tour of Australia
2006 England rugby union tour of Australia
-Matches:-Backs:I Balshaw , M Van Gisbergen , J Simpson-Daniel , T Varndell , T Voyce , J Noon , M Tait , S Abbott , M Catt , O Barkley , A Goode , S Bemand , P Richards , N Walshe .-Forwards:G Chuter , L Mears , A Titterrell , T...
and 2007 Summer tour of South Africa.
Jones was awarded Player of the year for Sale sharks in 2006, the year Sale won the premiership and again in 2008.
Jones married Donna on 28 June 2008 at Dromoland castle, county Clare, Ireland. They live together in Mere, Cheshire.
Donna gave birth to their first Child on 10 April 2009, a boy, Daniel William Jones.