No More Wales And No More Ospreys For Alun Wyn Jones . . . But It May Not Be The End

LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 28: Alun Wyn Jones, captain of the Barbarians walks off the field after playing his final rugby match during the Killik Cup match between Barbarians and a World XV at Twickenham Stadium on May 28, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

No More Wales And No More Ospreys For Alun Wyn Jones . . . But It May Not Be The End

Posted on

By Paul Jones

Alun Wyn Jones has confirmed he will not be an Ospreys player next season.

The former Wales and British and Irish Lions captain announced his retirement from international rugby last month after making a world-record 170 Test match appearances.

There had been no indication about whether he intended to play on for the Ospreys or join another team, although Jones has now hinted he could continue on the domestic stage next term.

Since announcing his Test retirement, Jones captained the Barbarians against a World XV and then his first club Swansea.

“Whatever’s next, if something pops up, there might be something domestic. I won’t be back with the Ospreys,” Jones told The Barbarians Show podcast.

“But if nothing does, I can be pretty happy with my innings anyway, but we will see what comes in the next few months.”

Jones, 37, made his Ospreys debut in 2005 and went on to captain the region, making more than 250 appearances.

He was named in named Wales’ preliminary World Cup training squad by head coach Warren Gatland, but subsequently announced his international retirement along with Ospreys colleagues Justin Tipuric and Rhys Webb.

Second-row forward Jones set a new Wales cap record when he overtook former prop Gethin Jenkins during the 2019 World Cup in Japan.

And he then moved past New Zealand World Cup-winning captain Richie McCaw’s mark of 148 caps, maintaining incredible consistency of performance in one of the sport’s toughest playing positions.

He was part of five Six Nations title-winning campaigns, including three Grand Slams, and played in four World Cups helping Wales reach two semi-finals.

His 12 Lions Tests is a figure bettered only by Willie John McBride and Dickie Jeeps.

Read more about Alun Wyn Jones

Last Of The Summer Wine For Alun Wyn As Fans Drink It All In At St. Helen’s

And The Winner Of The Swansea v Barbarians Match Is . . . St. Helen’s

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.