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The Wales legend is hoping to add another trophy to his collection after making it through to the Celebrity MasterChef final
Wales rugby legend Alun Wyn Jones was no stranger to silverware during his playing career and, even in retirement, he finds himself within touching distance of another trophy to add to his collection.
The Ospreys icon is arguably Wales’ greatest ever player after winning a world record 158 caps for his country, with his career littered with Grand Slam trophies and Six Nations titles. He also played 12 times for the Lions, captaining the side on the 2021 tour of South Africa, while he won three league titles with the Ospreys, as well as the Anglo-Welsh Cup.
On a personal level, Jones – who retired from rugby in 2023 – has been awarded an OBE, while he was nominated for World Player of the Year in 2015 and 2019 and is widely regarded as one of the best players of his generation.
Now, he has the chance to add Celebrity MasterChef champion to his long list of accolades, having made it through to this year’s final alongside author and broadcaster Dawn O’Porter and drag artist Ginger Johnson.
Having impressed judges John Torode and Grace Dent with his cooking skills, Jones is now looking to go all the way and be crowned the winner in Friday night’s grand finale.
As he prepares to don the apron for one last time, we take a look at Jones’ life after rugby, from a shock health diagnosis to a number of new roles he has taken on after hanging up his boots. Here’s what you need to know.
‘Learning to live again’
After a rugby career that saw him live and breathe the sport at the top level for nearly 20 years, Jones has admitted he has had to learn a new way of existing as he adjusts fully to family life.
The 40-year-old has been married to his wife Anwen since 2014 and they have three daughters together, but having become “instutionalised” during his playing career, he admits he underestimated the scale of the transition into retirement.
“I’ve had to learn to live again being around more,” he told the High Performance podcast earlier this year. “I think she (Anwen) foresaw a lot more of the complicated elements of me being around more, not just from a logistical point but there is a psychological element to it as well.
“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.
“It’s a bit like a jigsaw puzzle with no picture on it,” Jones continued. “I think I underestimated it a bit. I think I needed a bit of space.
“It’s been a quick 20 years and a long 12 months. Some of the simple things I thought would be normal (weren’t), for me to channel my energy and give me direction. I think the mapping out of it all has probably taken me longer than I thought.
“This is an opportunity to choose what I want to do for the rest of my life. It’s about career evolution. It’s been more challenging than I thought but there are so many options. It’s OK to take your time.”
Shock diagnosis
After 18 years with the Ospreys, Jones brought the curtain down on his glittering rugby career while playing for French giants Toulon, having joined the Top 14 side as a medical joker ahead of the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
It was during his time in France that he discovered he had atrial fibrillation, a heart condition which causes a fast, irregular heart rate and means blood isn’t pumped around the body as effectively.
He was told by doctors that he had likely developed the condition up to 18 months earlier, while he was still representing Wales. In an interview with The Telegraph, Jones admitted that he had noticed his fitness ‘numbers’ had started to drop and he was struggling to reach his previous heights while also experiencing “the odd palpitation”.
“The cardiac doctor picked it up straight away,” said the former lock. “My heartbeat was like a galloping horse with six legs. It was all over the shop.
“The things that bring it on for someone my age is likely to be cardiovascular exercise and stress, it occurs in sports like rowing and endurance sports, but it was a shock because throughout my career I have always prided myself on my fitness.”
After undergoing immediate surgery after finishing his playing career, Jones still has to monitor his heart and has campaigned to raise awareness of the condition since hanging up his boots.]
He teamed up with medical tech company AliveCor to launch the ‘Let’s Talk Rhythm’ campaign and raise awareness of atrial fibrillation, as well as the importance of getting checked.
While the diagnosis came as a shock, Jones views it as a “positive thing” as it has allowed him to take early treatment steps and stay on top of his condition.
“The early diagnosis has been hugely important to me,” he added. “The earlier you get diagnosed, the safer you are, so awareness is huge”.
New roles
Jones’ stint in the MasterChef kitchen saw him add yet another string to his bow, with the former Wales captain certainly keeping busy in retirement.
While he has worked as a pundit on the BBC’s rugby coverage, the legendary forward has also branched out into other areas, joining Swansea University as Strategic Advisor to the National Network for Innovation In Sport and Health (NNIISH).
He has also launched his own coffee-infused rum liqueur, Mimosa Rwm Espiritu, with the venture seemingly going from strength to strength. Launched in 2023, it is now stocked in Welsh branches of Tesco and Morrisons, but Jones is keen to extend distribution into England in the future.
Earlier this year, the Ospreys icon was also appointed as Honorary Colonel of 3rd Battalion, The Royal Welsh, by His Majesty King Charles III. In the role, he serves as an ambassador for Wales and draws upon his wealth of experience as a leader on the rugby pitch to inspire current and future generations of The Royal Welsh.
Jones, who wears military uniform as part of the role, said he was “hugely flattered and humbled”, as well as “a little apprehensive” to be appointed to the position, admitting that it was something he “couldn’t turn down”.
“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 when the appointment was announced.
“The uniform I’ll wear in this role will be very different to what I’m used to, but one I will be equally proud to wear as any jersey in my playing career and represent 3 Royal Welsh and Wales.”
Jones may well have even more irons in the fire soon, having revealed other approaches to do reality TV following his time on MasterChef.
Appearing on Scrum V earlier this week, he was asked if he’d had any other offers from elsewhere, including Strictly Come Dancing and Race Across the World.
“Ah come on now, no, no,” Jones replied. “I’ve had a few. But [MasterChef] is one of those ones I watched, I always used to watch cookery programmes as a kid and thought I’d really love to have a crack at that.”
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