Jonathan 'Jiffy' Davies, one of Welsh rugby's most treasured figures, turns 64 today, marking a year of milestones that include a £65m charity fundraising total, a CBE, and a possible end to his broadcasting career. The former fly-half, who starred in both codes of the game, has become one of the respected voices in the sport, having worked as a pundit for BBC Sport for many years.
Affectionately known as Jiffy, the Trimsaran native is showing no signs of slowing down, enjoying a number of significant milestones over the past few months. The rugby legend has just celebrated the wedding of his daughter Grace surrounded by friends and family.
Jiffy has four children - Scott, Grace and Geena - who he shared with first wife Karen, who sadly died from cancer in 1997. He is also a father to Molly from his marriage to second wife, Helen, and is step-dad to Deia. Now married to Jay, the pair live in Swansea with dog Barney.
Incredible Charity Effort
President of Velindre Cancer Care, a role he has held since 2009, his charity endeavours have gone from strength to strength and are barely believable when the figures are written down in black and white. At a recent fundraiser at Cardiff City Stadium, another £120,000 was raised for the cause, taking Jiffy's fundraising efforts to an incredible £65million.
Gruelling bike rides, fundraising dinners, major campaigns and countless other events have boosted that astonishing figure - but he's not done yet. He has set his sights on a staggering £100million total after the latest fundraising night in the Welsh capital.
Sharing a photograph of himself and his wife, Jay, on his Instagram story, Davies wrote: "Another £120k raised to add to the £65million. Next target £100million."
His dedication to a cause so close to his and others' hearts saw him receive a special message from Hollywood actor Michael Sheen. "Velindre know him as the man who always turned up," Sheen said on the night. "From bike rides and fundraising dinners to major campaigns and countless events, his time, energy and influence to a cause he truly believed in. Together, that dedication has helped raise an extraordinary £65million."
"But his legacy is not measured in pounds. It's measured in the patients reported and the families comforted - and hope provided to the countless people facing cancer. Jiffy, thank you for your generosity, your leadership, your humour and your friendship. For 19 remarkable years you have carried the Velindre badge with pride and inspired thousands to follow your lead. Player, president and above all, a true friend of Velindre. Diolch, Jiffy."
This year brought more well-earned recognition. He was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) for services to people with cancer and broadcasting and was honoured at an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle in March. Jiffy's Cancer 50 Challenge is now a staple in the calendar for fundraisers and cycling enthusiasts; this year was the sixth time Jiffy led the 50-mile route from Cardiff City Stadium to Swansea's Bracelet Bay.
Jay told us previously of the unseen work that her husband does away from the glitzy after-dinner circuit, which only hammers home the dedication to the cause, something which has impacted his life dramatically, with both his first wife and father passing away from cancer. "It's incredible," Jay said in our interview with them in 2024. "People might think it's the odd bike ride or after-dinner speech, but it's a daily task he does. He does a lot of videos for people who will send him a message, saying a family member is in hospital with cancer and wondering if he could send a message."
"I don't think he's ever said no to that. That pretty much happens every other day. He's in it 100 per cent. It's not just what you see in front of the camera. It's what we see from our point of view. I can't see him ever stepping down as president. I think he'll always maintain the role. Whether he can still do the rides, I don't know. But he'll be there with a Zimmer frame. It's an absolutely incredible achievement."
Entering Welsh Rugby's Fight
This summer also saw the 64-year-old become heavily involved in the discourse on Welsh rugby's future, a subject he has spoken passionately about. In August he called for the Welsh Rugby Union board to stand down, releasing an explosive video and voicing his fears over the direction the game was heading in Wales, with the governing body intent on reducing the number of professional clubs from four to three.
He endorsed businesswoman and former Cardiff director Hayley Parsons' call for the board to resign en masse and later offered to join a new WRU board to help in the interim. "If I can help, I will," he said at the time. "And if Hayley can help, she will. There's a lot of rugby people in Wales who have done far more on the coaching side and administrative side than I have."
"There's lots of people in different sectors who are ready to come in. I think what Hayley wants to get is an interim board and then make sure from there, they get the right people to go on the board. If I'm one of them, great, but I doubt I will be one of them. But the point is we've stepped up and said this. I hope a lot more come out and speak their minds. I'm not doing this for me. It's for the greater good of the game. I don't think I'm going to be involved because there'll be better people to do it rather than myself."
"But if you're asked, you've got to say yes. But I think there are far better people to steady the ship and then make things better."
What the Future Holds
In terms of what comes next for the dual-code legend, he says he will be making a decision on his broadcast career, one which has spanned almost three decades. Davies is a regular on the BBC and their Six Nations coverage but he admitted a couple of months ago that his time behind the mic may be coming to a conclusion.
Speaking to the Brave Bold Brilliant podcast, he said: "My broadcasting career might be coming to an end. It will be 30 years next year. I'm going to make a call on it whether I crack on there."
"I'm still working for companies as brand ambassador, I'm still doing the Jonathan television show. I'm doing less after-dinner speaking because now my weekends and evenings are far more important to me because as my kids said 'dad, you've only got 15 summers left', thank you very much for that! So it gives you a different perspective on life."
"Next couple of years, let's see what happens. I spend a lot of time trying to play golf with friends but also socially on the golf course I've made so many business deals because you spend four or five hours with someone and you get to know if you like them. I'm at age where I can do business with people I like, not people I don't want to be with."
"I don't think I'll ever stop. I train hard, I've got a bike ride coming up, maybe one more in Portugal, and just see how my health is and how my mind is. If I can keep both going, well why not keep doing the things I enjoy doing?"
