Dafydd Jones

Who is Dafydd Jones?

Dafydd Jones is a retired Welsh rugby union footballer, who played in the back row for the Llanelli Scarlets in the Magners League. He has also played for Wales. He made 104 appearances for the Scarlets scoring 45 points.

Jones was born in Aberystwyth. A product of Llanelli's youth system, he went on to play for Wales Development as well as the Sevens and 'A' teams. He made his Test debut for Wales on 9 November 2002 against Fiji at the Millennium Stadium; Wales won the match 58–14. He was then capped against Canada and the All Blacks. After competing in the 2003 Six Nations Championship, he was capped against the All Blacks and England, before he was included in the Welsh squad for the 2003 Rugby World Cup. He played in five matches during the tournament, scoring a try in the match against Italy

He played in the 2004 Six Nations Championship, as well as being capped twice in June, and then another four times in November, scoring a try against Romania. He played against England in the 2005 Six Nations Championship, which Wales went on to win.

Jones suffered a shoulder injury, after coming off the bench in Wales's 19–12 defeat by New Zealand on 7 November 2009. After undergoing two operations, Jones retired from all forms of rugby on 4 January 2011, after failing to fully recover. Jones will continue his association with the Scarlets for at least six months by undertaking various roles within the region, including assisting with the Academy, working within the community department to help inspire young players, and aiding sponsor relationships.