Rugby World Cup: Wales not keeping up with Joneses in 2023 squad

Alun Wyn Jones is Wales' most capped men's rugby player of all time and played in four World Cups

Tom, Catherine-Zeta and Alun Wyn - they all have one thing in common.

The surname Jones is synonymous with famous Welsh people but for the first time in Rugby World Cup history, Wales' men will not have one in their squad.

While Wales' men once had six Joneses starting in a game in 2004, almost 20 years later they aren't keeping up with Joneses at rugby's World Cup in France.

The name was introduced in Wales as biblical names were forced on the Welsh people around 500 years ago.

There have been 77 male Joneses on the backs of Welsh rugby jerseys over the years, with former captain Alun Wyn Jones their most-capped international and making the most World Cup appearances - with 21 in four tournaments.

Who are the Joneses' in Welsh World Cup rugby squads?

Former fly-half Stephen Jones also played in four World Cups while prop Adam and scrum-half Robert played in three - and Rob was Wales' first World Cup Joneses at the inaugural tournament in 1987.

Wyn Jones, Derwyn Jones, Dafydd Jones, Mark Jones, Duncan Jones, Ryan Jones, Hugh Williams-Jones and Jason Jones-Hughes complete the list of 12 Welsh Joneses to grace a Rugby World Cup.

There were four in 2003 - Adam, Dafydd, Mark and Stephen, and five in 2007 - Adam, Duncan, Alun Wyn, Stephen and Mark.

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While there were four in 2011 - Adam, Ryan, Stephen and Alun Wyn - only the evergreen second row appeared in 2015 and alongside prop Wyn in 2019.

It was during the 2000s that Welsh men's rugby squads seemed full to the brim of Jones boys.

Front rowers Adam and Duncan Jones won more than 150 caps and were sometimes known as Wales' hair bears

There was five at the 2007 World Cup in France and six in one game against South Africa in Cardiff in 2004 - that's 40% of the starting line-up!

Rugby historian Huw Richards said Joneses have "a huge legacy" in Wales, with the Welsh people "seeing themselves in the squad".

"Generations will have their own favourites," he said.

The 77 Joneses to don the red jersey beats those called Davies and Williams, according to Mr Richards - with older internationals Ken, Cliff and Lewis Jones all in the Welsh sport hall of fame.

Why so many Joneses in Wales?

It was only around 500 years ago that Welsh people started to use fixed surnames, before using ap, meaning "son of" to determine patronage, according to historians at the National Museum of Wales.

When told they needed to used fixed names, they used their father's name.

Wales squad for 2023 World Cup after receiving their caps at an official welcome ceremony in France

If you were John and your father was Gruffydd, you would become John Griffiths. If your father was John, you would become John Jones and so on.

At the same time there was a "period of streamlining and simplifying the Christian name all over Europe", meaning hundreds of ancient pagan names like Llywarch and Gwalchmai were lost and people were naming their children "safe, biblical names".

So people were being forced to take fixed surnames at the very time when there were hundreds and hundreds of fathers being given the name John, meaning a lot of John Joneses.

Arguably the most famous Jones to play for Wales is Alun Wyn Jones, who retired earlier this years.

The 37-year-old played 158 times for Wales as well as 12 Tests for the British and Irish Lions on four tours.

He captained Wales 48 times, including the 2019 Grand Slam when he was named the Six Nations player of the tournament.

What are Wales' World Cup Pool C fixture list

Sunday, 10 September

Wales v Fiji (Bordeaux), 20:00

Saturday, 16 September

Wales v Portugal (Nice), 16:45

Sunday, 24 September

Wales v Australia (Lyon), 20:00

Saturday, 7 October

Wales v Georgia (Nantes), 14:00

All times are BST unless stated and are subject to change. The BBC is not responsible for any changes that may be made.

A sad day for Joneses?

Mr Richards said although we are used to seeing a Jones on the pitch, it is "not unprecedented" to be without one.

Ken Jones scored five tries in 14 internationals for Wales between 1962 and 1966

In what he called the "golden age" of Welsh rugby in the 1970s, there were none.

He added it was probably down to how "socially exclusive" rugby was in the 19th century.

"Certainly I think it's vitally important that the Wales Rugby team should feel like us you know, should be representative of us," he said.

"It is very, very important the Welsh team should feel and look like Wales."

He added: "It would be fairly amazing if nobody called Jones ever played for Wales Rugby again."

And who knows? Could Alun Wyn Jones make one last appearance at another World Cup if Wales suffer injuries in the second row? He's in France playing for Toulon after all...

So maybe it's just au revoir for now....

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