Chris Jones (rugby union)

Christopher Michael Jones (born 24 June 1980 in Manchester) is a retired English rugby union rugby player. He played as a lock or flanker, featuring for Sale Sharks and Worcester Warriors in the English Premiership and Yorkshire Carnegie in the RFU Championship.

Chris Jones
Birth nameChristopher Michael Jones
Date of birth (1980-06-24) 24 June 1980
Place of birthManchester, England
Height1.98 m (6 ft 6 in)
Weight111 kg (17 st 7 lb)[1]
SchoolStockport Grammar School
UniversitySheffield Hallam University
Rugby union career
Position(s) Lock / Flanker
Youth career
- Altrincham Kersal
– Fylde
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2001–2011 Sale Sharks 138 (90)
2011–2014 Worcester Warriors ()
2014–2016 Yorkshire Carnegie ()
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2003-2007 England Saxons
2004-2007 England 12 (5)

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 the 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.[2] 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.[3]

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 scored a try.[4] 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.[5]

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.[6]

Jones went on to collect more caps on the 2006 Summer tour of Australia[7] and 2007 Summer tour of South Africa.[8]

In the 2005–2006 season, Jones started the final as Sale Sharks won their first ever Premiership title.[9] He was also voted Sale's player of the year in 2006 and again in 2008.

On 22 May 2014, Jones officially joined Yorkshire Carnegie in the RFU Championship on a two-year contract from the 2014-15 season.[10]

On 19 May 2016 Jones announced his retirement from rugby after suffering a concussion against Nottingham in April of that year.[11]

Personal life

Jones married Donna on 28 June 2008 at Dromoland Castle, County Clare, Ireland. They live together in Cheshire. Donna gave birth to their first child on 10 April 2009, Daniel William Jones. Their second child, Alánnah Monica Jones on 14 November 2011. Their third child, Harrison Peter Jones on 23 February 2014 and their fourth child, William Christopher Jones was born on 22 September 2015.

References
  1. "Aviva Premiership Rugby – Worcester Warriors". web page. Premier Rugby. Archived from the original on 7 February 2012. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  2. "Zurich Awards Nominations". Scrum. 15 September 2003. Retrieved 3 July 2009.
  3. "Barbarians ruin England's day". BBC. 25 May 2003. Retrieved 3 July 2009.
  4. "Italy 9–50 England". BBC. 15 February 2004. Retrieved 3 July 2009.
  5. "New Zealand 36–3 England". BBC. 12 June 2004. Retrieved 3 July 2009.
  6. "Scarlets 24–23 Sale". BBC. 2 December 2005. Retrieved 3 July 2009.
  7. "Australia 43–18 England". BBC. 17 June 2006. Retrieved 3 July 2009.
  8. "South Africa 55–22 England". BBC. 2 June 2007. Retrieved 3 July 2009.
  9. "Sale 45-20 Leicester". BBC. 27 May 2006. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
  10. "Yorkshire Carnegie add ex-England international Chris Jones to squad". Sky Sports. 22 May 2014.
  11. "Carnegie captain Jones forced to retire". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
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