Neve Jones

Last updated

Neve Jones
Date of birth (1998-12-26) 26 December 1998 (age 26)
Place of birth County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Height157 cm (5 ft 2 in)
Weight72 kg (159 lb)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Hooker, Flanker
Senior career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2003-2010 Ballymena ()
2014-2022 Malone RFC ()
2022- Gloucester-Hartpury ()
Provincial / State sides
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2015- Ulster ()
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2020– Ireland 39 (55)
Correct as of 31 August 2025
National sevens team
YearsTeamComps
Ireland 7s 0

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.

Contents

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 girls' teams at these schools were rejected, 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. [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]

She was named in Ireland's XVs side for the 2025 Six Nations Championship in March. [8] [9] On 11 August 2025, she was selected in the Irish squad to the Rugby World Cup. [10] [11]

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. [12] 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. [13]

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. 17 August 2020. 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. "Bemand Names Ireland Preparation Squad For Guinness Women's Six Nations". Irish Rugby. 11 February 2025. Retrieved 19 March 2025.
  9. "Bemand announces Ireland's squad for Guinness Women's Six Nations". Six Nations Rugby. 12 February 2025. Retrieved 19 March 2025.
  10. "Wafer and McMahon fit for Ireland World Cup squad". BBC Sport. 11 August 2025. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  11. "Ireland's Squad Named For Women's Rugby World Cup 2025". Irish Rugby. 11 August 2025. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  12. "Neve Jones dreaming of pulling on green jersey for Ireland". News Letter. 17 August 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
  13. "East Belfast GAA providing new sporting love for Ireland rugby star Jones". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 May 2021.