Birth name | Ellis Jenkins | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | 29 April 1993 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Church Village, Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 100 kg (220 lb; 15 st 10 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
School | Bryn Celynnog Comprehensive School [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Ellis Jenkins (born 29 April 1993) is a Welsh rugby union flanker who currently plays for the Cardiff Rugby and for the Wales national team.
Jenkins made his debut for Cardiff in 2011 having previously played for their academy team and Cardiff RFC. He has been a regular member of the first-choice team since 2014, and was part of the victorious team that beat Gloucester in the final of the 2017–18 European Rugby Challenge Cup.
In April 2024, he announced his intention to retire at the conclusion of the season.
Jenkins was a Wales under-20 international, captaining the side at the 2012 and 2013 Junior World Cup where Wales finished as runners up. Jenkins captained team consisting of a number of future Wales senior internationals: in the 2012 championship he captained the side which became the first side from any country to defeat New Zealand at that level. [2] His team-mates that day included future senior Wales regulars Rob Evans and Samson Lee as well as several other players who would go on to earn senior Wales caps including Tom Prydie, Dan Baker, Eli Walker and Matthew Morgan, as well as future Scotland international Luke Hamilton. In 2013, Jenkins would captain the side which finished runners-up, Wales' best performance at U20 level to date.
Jenkins would have to bide his time before making his senior Wales appearance, in part due to intense competition for places in the Wales back row from the likes of Sam Warburton, Dan Lydiate, Justin Tipuric, Josh Navidi and Aaron Shingler. He finally made his debut aged 23 on the 2016 tour of New Zealand, coming off the bench in all three tests. He would captain Wales for the first time against South Africa in Washington, D.C. during the 2018 Wales rugby union tour to Argentina and the United States.
Unfortunately, during the final match against South Africa national rugby union team of the Under Armour Autumn Series, Jenkins suffered from a torn AC, MCL and numerous damages to the tendons in his left knee. This left him in rehabilitation for an extended period, making him unavailable for the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
Jenkins has been engaged with Welsh actress and singer Sophie Evans since they were teenagers. [3] [4] They married on 25 June 2022. [5] [4]
Newport Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club based in the city of Newport, Wales. They presently play in the Welsh Premier Division. Until 2021 Newport RFC were based at Rodney Parade situated on the east bank of the River Usk.
Arthur Joseph "Monkey" Gould was a Welsh international rugby union centre and fullback who was most associated as a club player with Newport Rugby Football Club. He won 27 caps for Wales, 18 as captain, and critics consider him the first superstar of Welsh rugby. A talented all-round player and champion sprinter, Gould could side-step and kick expertly with either foot. He never ceased practising to develop his fitness and skills, and on his death was described as "the most accomplished player of his generation".
The Wales national rugby union team represents Wales in men's international rugby union. Its governing body, the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), was established in 1881, the same year that Wales played their first international against England. The team plays its home matches at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, which replaced Cardiff Arms Park as the national stadium of Wales in 1999.
The Welsh Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in the country of Wales, recognised by the sport's international governing body, World Rugby.
Cardiff Rugby are one of the four professional Welsh rugby union teams. Based in Cardiff, the team play at Cardiff Arms Park. Originally formed in 1876, from 2003 to 2021 the first team was known as the Cardiff Blues before rebranding back to Cardiff Rugby prior to the start of the 2021–22 season.
Pontypridd Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team from Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. It won the Indigo Group Premiership for four consecutive seasons between 2012 and 2015, and the WRU National Cup on 6 different occasions, most recently in 2014.
Rugby union in Wales is considered a large part of Welsh national culture. Rugby union is thought to have reached Wales in the 1850s, with the national body, the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) being formed in 1881. Wales are considered to be one of the most successful national sides in Rugby Union, having won the most Six Nations Championships after England, as well as having reached 3 World Cup semi finals in 1987, 2011 and 2019, having finished 3rd in the inaugural competition and having finished 4th in 2011 in a repeat of the first third place play-off. The Welsh team of the 1970s is considered to be one of the greatest national teams of all time. As of November 2021, they are ranked 8th in the world.
Cardiff Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, shortly after which relocating to Cardiff Arms Park where they have been based ever since.
Gethin Jenkins is a Welsh former professional rugby union player who played as a prop for Pontypridd, Celtic Warriors, Cardiff Blues and Toulon. At international level, he won 129 caps for Wales. On his 105th appearance in 2014, he became Wales' most-capped player, overtaking the record held by Stephen Jones; having earned his final cap in November 2016, his record was surpassed by Alun Wyn Jones in September 2019. He is one of a small group of Welsh players to have won three Grand Slams. He also won five caps for the British & Irish Lions on three tours in 2005, 2009 and 2013. He is the sixth most-capped player in rugby union history and the second most-capped front-row forward.
Llanelli Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club founded on 30 March 1872.
Martyn Elwyn Williams, is a Welsh former professional rugby union player who played as a flanker. He earned 100 caps for the Wales national team, the most by a forward until he was surpassed by Gethin Jenkins in November 2013. He remains Wales's most-capped back-row forward. He also played for the British & Irish Lions, touring Australia in 2001, New Zealand in 2005 and South Africa in 2009. Overall, he played 17 times for the Lions across the 3 tours scoring 2 tries which included 4 test matches.
Blaina Rugby Football Club are a Welsh rugby union club based in Blaina in the county borough of Blaenau Gwent in Wales. They presently play in the Welsh Rugby Union Division Three East league and are a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons.
Albert Jenkins was an international rugby player for Wales and played club rugby for Llanelli RFC between 1919 and 1928. Jenkins was one of the greatest backs to have played for Llanelli and is compared to later Scarlet heroes Lewis Jones and Phil Bennett. Jenkins was a strong tackler and was an extremely fast runner from a standing start. He was also an excellent kicker with either foot and could punt the ball half the length of the pitch. He was sometimes criticised for his decision making on the field, and wasn't at his best away from Stradey Park.
Joshua Turnbull is a Welsh former professional rugby union player, who played in the back row and second row. He played for the Scarlets and Cardiff Rugby in the United Rugby Championship, and at club level for Carmarthen Quins, Llanelli and Llandovery. He played internationally for Wales at under-16, under-18, under-19 and under-20 levels, Wales 7s and earned 13 caps for the senior team between 2011 and 2022. Born in Haverfordwest, he is a fluent Welsh speaker.
Dan Lydiate is a Wales international rugby union player. A flanker, Lydiate was raised in Llandrindod Wells and is a product of the Newport Gwent Dragons academy.
Willie Davies was a Welsh international dual-code rugby fly half who played rugby union for Swansea and rugby league for Bradford Northern. He won six caps for the Wales rugby union team and nine caps for the Wales rugby league team. In 2003 he was inducted into the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame. He was the cousin of Wales international Haydn Tanner.
Sophie Gwen Jenkins is a Welsh singer and actress from Tonypandy. She played Glinda in the West End production of Wicked (2017) and Dorothy in the 2011 musical The Wizard of Oz.
Kirby Myhill is a Welsh rugby union rugby player, who plays at hooker for the Miami Sharks in the MLR. Myhill begin his career with the Scarlets academy, and represented the team for six seasons before joining Cardiff Rugby. He is also a Wales and Wales Under-20 international.
Luke John Hamilton is a Scottish international rugby union player who plays back row for Oyonnax. He has previously played for Cardiff Blues and Edinburgh in the Pro14, Agen in France's Top 14 and Leicester Tigers in Premiership Rugby.
Dafydd Jenkins is a Welsh professional rugby union player who plays as a lock for Premiership Rugby club Exeter Chiefs and captains the Wales national team.