Ken Jones was a former British Lions, Wales and Newport wing as well as a sprinter good enough to win an Olympic silver medal. He died at the age of 84 in 2006. Jones started his rugby career with local side Blaenavon and Pontypool before joining Newport in time for the 1946–47 season. He won 44 caps for Wales – 43 of them in consecutive matches – which was a Welsh record until overtaken by Gareth Edwards. Jones scored 17 tries for Wales. He also played three Tests for the British and Irish Lions during the 1950 tour to New Zealand. An all-round athlete, Jones represented Britain at the 1948 Olympics in London and won silver in the 4x100m relay. He and his teammates were actually presented with gold medals because the USA were disqualified. But he had to return the medal because the USA had been reinstated! Jones captained Britain at the European Games in Berne in 1954 and represented Wales at the Empire Games in 1954 in Vancouver. He was the Welsh sprint champion for seven consecutive years, using that pace on the rugby field to score 146 tries in 293 games for Newport, captaining the side in 1950–51 and 1953–54. For his services to sport, Jones was awarded the OBE in 1960.
