Graham Jones (24 November 1933 — 1 July 2022) was a Welsh international
rugby union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
player.
A native of
Garndiffaith
Garndiffaith is a village located in Torfaen, south east Wales. It is a small rural area situated between Talywain and Varteg, three miles north of the town of Pontypool and 3.5 miles south of the town of Blaenavon (a World Heritage Site). The v ...
, Jones was educated at Abersychan Grammar School and undertook
National Service
National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939.
The l ...
with the Royal Air Force (RAF). He became a back row forward during his time in the RAF, having previously played centre for Pontypool. In the 1960s, Jones played his rugby with Ebbw Vale and had a run of 150 consecutive matches.
Jones won three
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
caps in 1963, debuting against Scotland at Murrayfield. He scored what was at the time the quickest known try by a Wales player in his next match, against
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
at Lansdowne Road, that remains the fastest try by a Welsh forward. It also made him the first Ebbw Vale recruit to score a try for Wales.
See also
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List of Wales national rugby union players
List of Wales national rugby union players is a list of players who have represented Wales at rugby union. The list only includes players who have played in a Test match for the senior men's team. The players are listed in order of chronological ...
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Graham
1933 births
2022 deaths
Welsh rugby union players
Wales international rugby union players
Rugby union flankers
Rugby union players from Torfaen
Pontypool RFC players
Ebbw Vale RFC players