Lewis Jones obituary: the Leeds Rhinos icon and Wales rugby union legend who was 'king of rugger'

That wasn’t arrogance on his part; it was simply how Jones was known across Wales and the north of England, where the centre and later stand-off thrilled fans as one of the most mesmerising talents either code of the sport has ever seen.

Jones, who has died, aged 92, was born in Gorseinon, near Swansea, on April 11, 1931, and played union for Wales and the British Lions as a teenager before Leeds persuaded him to change codes for a record £6,000 fee in 1952. It was an investment which paid for itself many times over.

Known as the ‘Golden Boy’ of Welsh rugby union, Jones starred for Glamorgan, Gorseinon, Neath and Llanelli before making his Wales debut against England at Twickenham in January, 1950. Playing at full-back, he kicked a conversion and penalty in a famous 11-5 win.

Having helped Wales to their first Grand Slam since 1911 and featured for Barbarians, he was initially omitted from the Lions’ tour to New Zealand and Australia, but secured a call up as a late injury replacement, aged only 19.

After earning 10 Welsh caps, Jones made the momentous decision to turn professional and signed for Leeds on November 5, 1952. Three days later, a crowd of 17,000 turned up to see him make his debut, at full-back, in a 56-7 rout of visitors Keighley, when he contributed seven goals.

That was the first of 385 appearances for Leeds, during which Jones, mainly at centre and later stand-off, scored a phenomenal 2,920 points. That total came from 144 tries (then worth three points) and 1,244 goals. Only Kevin Sinfield has scored more goals and points for Leeds and Jones’ 431 points in 1956-57 remains a club record.

A maestro when he put boot to ball, either kicking for goal or in open play, Jones scored and set-up countless tries with his change of pace and gravity-defying ‘hanging pass’. A Challenge Cup winner in 1957, he played in the following year’s County Cup success and was part of Leeds’ victorious Yorkshire League Championship campaigns in 1954-55, 1956-57 and 1960-61.

His crowning glory came at the end of the 1960-61 season when Leeds, after 60 years of trying, were crowned rugby league champions for the first time, the Welshman scoring a try and five goals in a 25-10 defeat of Warrington at Odsal.

At Test level, Jones played 15 times for Great Britain and scored a record 278 points on the 1954 rugby league Lions tour. His final game for Leeds was against Halifax on Easter Monday, 1964, before he moved to Australia to become player/coach at the Wentworthville club.

After returning to his adopted city in 1972, to take up a teaching appointment at Silver Royd High School, Jones had a brief spell in charge of the Headingley club’s ‘A’ team and coached Dewsbury in 1977-78. He remained an avid Leeds fan, attending home matches up until this season.

His final public appearance at Headingley was on Boxing Day, 2023, when he took part in the on-field celebrations following Rhinos’ win over Wakefield Trinity. Jones was a hero to a generation of Leeds fans and an inspiration to thousands more through his teaching. As unassuming and modest off the field as he was commanding on it, there will never be another Lewis Jones.