Danny Jones (rugby league)

Danny Jones (6 March 1986 – 3 May 2015) was a Wales international rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. He played at club level for Halifax (Heritage № 1186) (two spells), and the Keighley Cougars (two spells), as a stand-off or scrum-half.[4][5]

Danny Jones
Jones photographed in 2013
Personal information
Full nameDaniel Peter Jones[1]
Born(1986-03-06)6 March 1986
Halifax, West Yorkshire, England
Died3 May 2015(2015-05-03) (aged 29)
Hampstead, London, England
Playing information
PositionStand-off, Scrum-half
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2003–06 Halifax[lower-alpha 1] 54 17 132 2 334
2007–10 Keighley Cougars
2011 Halifax
2012–15 Keighley Cougars[lower-alpha 2] 154 32 444 7 1023
Total 208 49 576 9 1357
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2010–13 Wales 12 0 3 0 6
Source: [2][3]
  1. statistics include 2011 season
  2. statistics aggregate both spells at club

Background

Jones was born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England.

Playing career

Jones played for Halifax amateur teams, Ovenden and King Cross before turning professional and signing for Halifax.[6] He made his first team début aged 17 years and 200 days in what was to be his only Super League appearance, Halifax's last game of Super League VIII in 2003.[6] He remained with Halifax until 2006 when he joined Keighley Cougars for the start of the 2007 season. After four seasons with Keighley, he returned to Halifax for the 2011 season but then moved back to Keighley in 2012.[2]

International honours

Jones was a Wales international, having made his début in a defeat by Italy in 2010.[4] He was named in the Wales squad for the 2013 Rugby League World Cup.[7]

Death

During a League 1 match between Keighley Cougars and London Skolars on 3 May 2015, Jones was substituted in the fourth minute of the game after reporting feeling unwell. Soon after he went into cardiac arrest, he received treatment at the scene by the match doctor and was transferred by air ambulance to the Royal Free Hospital where he subsequently died.[8][9] The match was abandoned after the incident.[9] A post-mortem revealed that the cardiac arrest was caused by a previous undetected, hereditary, heart disease.[10]

Keighley announced on 4 May that the number 6 shirt number worn by Jones during the 2015 season would be retired with immediate effect.[11] The main stand at Cougar Park was named The Danny Jones Stand at the end of May.[12]

Jones' widow, Lizzie, performed the traditional Challenge Cup Final hymn, Abide With Me before the 2015 Challenge Cup Final, to say "thank you to players, fans and officials for their support since her husband's death" .[13] Lizzie also sang Danny Boy at the BBC Sports personality of the Year awards on 20 December 2015.[14]

Legacy

In February 2016, Lizzie worked with the RFL Benevolent Fund to establish the Danny Jones Defibrillator Fund to raise awareness of cardiac health among sports players and to help clubs purchase defibrillators as well as pushing for all players to undergo heart screening. By 2019 the fund had raised and distributed over £200,000 in grants to amateur clubs.[15]

References
  1. "Daniel Jones : Obituary". Halifax Courier. Johnston Press. 15 May 2015. Archived from the original on 2 May 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  2. "Rugby League mourns Danny Jones". Rugby Leaguer & League Express. No. 2965. 4 May 2015. p. 3.
  3. "Player Summary: Danny Jones". Rugby League Records. Rugby League Record Keepers Club. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  4. "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  5. "Gareth Thomas scores on Wales début in loss to Italy". BBC. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  6. Hodgson, Phil (11 May 2015). "The life and soul of the Cougars". Rugby Leaguer & League Express. No. 2966. p. 38.
  7. "Patrick in but Powell doesn't make cut for Wales squad". Rugby League World Cup 2013. 30 September 2013. Archived from the original on 3 October 2013.
  8. "Rugby League mourns the death of Danny Jones". Rugby Football League. 3 May 2015. Archived from the original on 4 May 2015. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
  9. "Sporting world mourns loss of Keighley Cougars player Danny Jones as fans invited to ground". Keighley News. 4 May 2015. Retrieved 5 May 2015.
  10. "Danny Jones had undetected heart disease post mortem reveals". BBC Sport. 7 May 2015. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  11. "Keighley Cougars retire No6 shirt after Danny Jones's death". The Guardian. 4 May 2015. Retrieved 5 May 2015.
  12. "Cougars return to winning ways". Rugby Leaguer & League Express. No. 2969. 1 June 2015. p. 24.
  13. "Rugby player's widow sings Challenge Cup Final hymn". BBC News.
  14. "Tribute to sports stars lost in 2015". BBC Sport. 20 December 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  15. Messenger, James (30 December 2019). "Lizzie Jones recognised in New Year's Honours List". Love Rugby League. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
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