Birth name | Rory Watts-Jones | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | 15 December 1988 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Cowbridge, Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 188 cm (6 ft 2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 99 kg (15 st 8 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
University | University of Plymouth | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Rory Watts-Jones (born 15 December 1988) is a retired Welsh rugby union player. A flanker, he played club rugby for Cardiff Blues regional team. [1]
Born and raised in Cowbridge, Watts-Jones joined Cowbridge RFC and played for the Wales under-16s team. [2] Having gained a place at the University of Plymouth, he joined their rugby club, where he came to the attention of Plymouth Albion R.F.C. coach Graham Dawe. [2] Watts-Jones made his debut from the bench in January 2009, against Doncaster R.F.C. in the EDF Energy Trophy. [2] Starting 35 games and playing in a further 12 from the bench, he also played for the Wales Sevens team. [2]
Having finished his university course, in June 2011 he joined Cardiff RFC, [2] and then graduated to the regional Cardiff Blues squad. [3] He made his debut against Connacht in September 2012. In November 2014, whilst playing against Newcastle Falcons in the Anglo-Welsh Cup when he scored a decisive try, [4] he suffered a concussion related injury. [1] [3]
The Blues took Watts-Jones through the WRU defined graduated return-to-play protocol, [3] but noted that he was fairly slow going through the process. [3] His family and girlfriend then noted that his behaviour was different from previous concussive recovery episodes. [3] Referred to a specialist doctor, after further tests Watts-Jones was advised to retire due to a concussion-related injury. [3] On 17 February 2015, the club and Watts-Jones announced his reluctant retirement from rugby, based on medical grounds with regards his long-term health. [1] [4]
Cardiff Rugby is one of the four professional Welsh rugby union teams. They compete in the United Rugby Championship and in European Professional Club Rugby competitions.
Craig Quinnell is a former Welsh rugby union player.
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 most-capped front-row forward.
Ryan Paul Jones is a Wales former international rugby union player who played at number eight, blindside flanker or second row. He was involved in three Grand Slam wins, in 2005, as captain in 2008, and 2012. He is one of a small group of Welsh players to have won three Grand Slams including Gerald Davies, Gareth Edwards, JPR Williams, Adam Jones, Gethin Jenkins and Alun Wyn Jones.
William Michael Phillips is a rugby union player who plays at scrum-half. On 16 March 2013, Phillips surpassed the record of 76 caps set by Dwayne Peel as the most capped scrum-half for Wales.
Matthew Rees is a Welsh former professional rugby union footballer who played as a hooker. After beginning his career with Tonyrefail RFC and Merthyr RFC, he made his professional debut for Pontypridd RFC in 2001. With the arrival of regional rugby in Wales in 2003, he joined the Celtic Warriors, but their closure a year later led to him signing for the Llanelli Scarlets. He played more than 180 matches for the Scarlets, captaining them on several occasions, leading to his first Wales call-up in 2005.
Keith Alun Rowlands, was a Welsh international lock rugby union player and later administrator, who was the first chief executive officer of the International Rugby Board.
John Yapp is a Welsh international rugby union player, currently with Edinburgh. He first played for Cardiff during the Christmas period in 2002. He made his first team debut against Ebbw Vale on Boxing Day at the age of 18. Despite his young age, he was featured in 17 of a possible 19 games by the end of the season and had been called up to train with the Wales-under-21 squad.
Andrew Powell is a Welsh former rugby union player, who last played for Merthyr RFC. He is a former international rugby union player having played for both the Wales sevens team, and the Wales national rugby union team as well as touring with the British and Irish Lions (uncapped). His regular rugby union position was either No. 8 or blindside flanker in the back row.
Tom James is a Welsh former professional rugby union player. James represented Wales and spent most of his career with Cardiff Blues
Adam Mathias Jones is a Welsh former professional rugby union player who played as a lock. He captained the Wales Under-19 team and earned his first caps for the Wales senior team as a replacement against England and Scotland in the 2006 Six Nations Championship. He began his career with Swansea RFC before a spell in England with Saracens and Harlequins, before returning to Wales with Cardiff RFC. At the start of the Welsh regional era, he signed for the Llanelli Scarlets and played for them for four seasons, before a seven-year spell with the Newport Gwent Dragons. He also made appearances for Llandovery RFC, Carmarthen Quins RFC, Cross Keys RFC and Newport RFC.
Joshua "Josh" Turnbull is a Welsh international rugby union player, who currently plays in the Back row and Second row for Cardiff Rugby in the Pro14 league having previously played for the Scarlets, Llanelli RFC and Llandovery RFC. Born in Haverfordwest, Turnbull is a fluent Welsh speaker.
Sam Kennedy-Warburton, OBE MStJ, commonly known as Sam Warburton, is a Welsh former international rugby union player. Warburton played rugby for Cardiff Rugby and was first capped for Wales in 2009. He usually played as an openside flanker but was also capable of playing at blindside. In June 2011, he was named as Wales captain versus the Barbarians and subsequently in August 2011 he was named as the Wales captain for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. In April 2013, he was named the Lions' captain for the 2013 tour to Australia, and was also named as captain for the 2017 tour to New Zealand. Warburton held the record for the most Wales caps as captain (49) until surpassed by Alun Wyn Jones.
Matthew Silva is a Welsh rugby union coach, who is the current coach of RGC 1404. He is a former rugby union and professional rugby league footballer, who played from the 1980s to the 2000s. In rugby union (RU), he played as a number eight, fly-half, centre, wing and fullback. In rugby league (RL), he played as a fullback, i.e. number 1.
Cory Allen is a retired Welsh international rugby union player. A centre or wing, he played for Cardiff Blues and the Ospreys. Allen joined the Dragons in 2021, but did not feature for the side.