Neve Jones

Neve Jones (born 26 December 1998) is an Irish rugby player from Ballymena. She plays for Gloucester-Hartpury, Ulster and the Ireland women's national rugby union team.

Neve Jones
Date of birth (1998-12-26) 26 December 1998
Place of birthAntrim, Northern Ireland
Height1.57 m (5 ft 2 in)
Weight72 kg (159 lb; 11 st 5 lb)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Hooker, Flanker
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
2003-2010 Ballymena ()
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2014-2022
2015
2022-		 Malone RFC
Ulster
Gloucester-Hartpury		 120
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2020–present Ireland 3 (0)
National sevens team(s)
Years Team Comps
0 Ireland 7s 0

Club career

Jones started playing rugby at age 6, through mini rugby in her local club Ballymena RFC. There was no girls' rugby in her schools Cambridge House Grammar School and Ballymena Academy. Neve's attempts to launch it at both schools were rejected by the schools so she joined Malone RFC when she was 14.[1]

She captained the Ulster U18s to the first Irish U18 Provincial trophy in 2016.[2]

Jones was Malone's top try-scorer in 2019 and the winner of the 2020 Energia Women's All Ireland League Rising Star Award.Ulster under 18 player of the year.[3]

On 7 January 2022, Gloucester-Hartpury announced that they'd signed Jones to their squad.[4]

International career

Jones first got selected to the Ireland women's national rugby union team in 2020, making her the first female international player to represent Malone RFC.[5]

She made her debut as a replacement versus Italy, in the 2020 Women's Six Nations.[6]

In the 2021 Women's Six Nations, she played as a replacement, versus Wales.[7]

Personal life

Jones is studying sports coaching at the University of Ulster in Jordanstown.

Before she played rugby she was involved in swimming, netball and jiu jitsu. She took up ladies gaelic football in 2020 and plays for East Belfast GFC, the first GAA team to be set up there in nearly 50 years.[8]

Honours

References
  1. "Behind the player: Neve Jones". Ulster Rugby. 19 June 2020. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  2. "Ulster U18 Girls win first ever Inter-Pro title". Ulster Rugby. 3 October 2016. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  3. "Neve Jones dreaming of pulling on green jersey for Ireland". www.newsletter.co.uk. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  4. "Gloucester-Hartpury sign Irish international Neve Jones". Gloucester Rugby. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  5. "'Players can aspire to emulate Jones'". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  6. "Determined Ireland beat Italy in Dublin". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  7. Cummiskey, Gavin. "Ireland make loud statement of intent as they crush Wales in Cardiff". The Irish Times. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  8. "East Belfast GAA providing new sporting love for Ireland rugby star Jones". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
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