Alun Wyn Jones, the most capped player in Test rugby history, is set to return to his former club the Ospreys as a board member. Confirmation of the 40-year-old's appointment is expected in the coming days and weeks, as the Swansea-based side steps up its fight for survival.
Jones played his final match for Toulon in November 2023, just months after a shock announcement ended his international career ahead of Wales' Rugby World Cup campaign. He had spent nearly two decades with the Ospreys, making over 200 appearances for the club.
Return to rugby and new roles
While Jones has enjoyed a varied career post-rugby, he has remained close to the sport. He has worked as a pundit for the BBC and during this year's Six Nations expressed frustration live on air about the state of the game. After Wales' win over Italy, he offered a critique of the Welsh Rugby Union in front of the governing body's director of rugby and elite performance, Dave Reddin.
Earlier this year, it was announced that Jones would sit on the Swansea Rugby Community Board, created to steer the community side of the St Helen's stadium rebuild. He has also been among a number of former Ospreys to call on the WRU to rethink plans to cut a region, and was present at a public meeting hosted by Swansea Council discussing the club's future.
Since retiring, Jones has taken on roles outside rugby. He joined Swansea University as Strategic Adviser to the National Network for Innovation In Sport and Health (NNIISH). He has also been tipped to take over from Jonathan 'Jiffy' Davies as the face of Velindre's charity bike rides, and on Sunday took part in the Jiffy Cancer 50 ride from Cardiff to Swansea.
Business ventures and military honour
Last year, Jones reached the final of Celebrity Masterchef. One of his most passionate projects has been launching his own coffee-infused rum liqueur, Mimosa Rwm Espiritu, which is now available in Welsh branches of Tesco and Morrisons. "I've been fortunate to play sport at an elite level. But as for us in the drinks business, we're still rookies," Jones said. "We're not quite there yet in the elite level of the drinks industry, we're still in our infancy, but I'm looking forward to going to Tesco, and hugely grateful, for not just this opportunity, but all the support we have had."
Last year, he was also appointed as Honorary Colonel of 3rd Battalion, The Royal Welsh, by King Charles III. In this role, Jones will act as an ambassador for Wales, motivating current and future generations of The Royal Welsh through his experience and leadership credentials. He succeeds Brigadier Russ Wardle OBE DL, the former head of the Army in Wales.
Jones described himself as "hugely flattered and humbled" and "a little apprehensive". "Having played in our great stadium and seeing the men and women in uniform holding our national flag, it was always a significant and poignant symbol of the history and connection to the military in Wales," he said. "There was also the iconic Royal Welsh Band serving to provide acoustics in the stadium, which is something that I enjoyed as much as a player as I continue to do now as a fan."
Family life and health scare
Jones has had to settle into a different way of life since retiring, admitting on the High Performance podcast last year that he's "had to learn to live again". He added that it involved being a more active member of his family with wife Anwen and their three daughters. "It's getting up to speed on routines, trying not to ask too many questions. I'd been so used to having day sheets throughout my career. When you've been told what to eat, what to wear throughout your career you do become institutionalised," he said.
Jones also had a heart diagnosis to contend with, with doctors having spotted atrial fibrillation during his time at Toulon. He previously told the Telegraph that medical professionals explained he likely developed the condition up to 18 months beforehand, coinciding with the time his place in the Wales team was being questioned. Jones had surgery after retiring and continues to monitor the condition. "The cardiac doctor picked it up straight away. My heartbeat was like a galloping horse with six legs. It was all over the shop," he said.
