Queen's Birthday Honours: Former Wales captain Ryan Jones becomes MBE

Ryan Jones made his Wales debut in 2004

Former Wales captain Ryan Jones has been awarded an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours list.

Jones, 40, is rewarded for services to rugby union and charitable fundraising in Wales.

"I was overwhelmed and emotional and it has come out of the blue. It is a wonderful accolade and something I hold in such high esteem," said Jones.

Ex-Welsh Rugby Union chief executive Martyn Phillips has also been awarded an MBE for services to rugby in Wales.

Jones won three Grand Slams and four Six Nations titles in an international career that included 75 internationals. Only Alun Wyn Jones and Sam Warburton have led Wales more often than Jones, who captained his country on 33 occasions.

Jones also played three Tests for the British and Irish Lions on the 2005 tour of New Zealand. He captained the Ospreys between 2007 and 2010, winning four Pro12 league titles and appearing 150 times for his region.

After retiring in 2015, Jones joined the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) executive board, moving from being director of community rugby to a performance role which he left in October 2020.

"My rugby career seems a long time ago," said Jones.

"I am lucky with the generation I played in and there were far better players than me who have not quite had the success I was lucky to have.

"I would not have thought I would have achieved a fraction of what I did. I had a wonderful 20 years in the game and loved every bit of it and there have been some highs and lows.

"Standing there as captain lifting silverware in the Principality Stadium was just magic and I have vivid memories of how that made me feel.

"Getting called up to the Lions and playing in three Tests and sitting in the changing rooms and looking at some of the greatest players of a generation was also special.

"Something I have always been driven to do is inspire others and try to leave rugby in a better place and bring the sport to a broader audience."

Ryan Jones lifts the 2008 Six Nations trophy after captaining Wales to Grand Slam success

Jones has also been recognised for his charity work.

He helped set up a charity foundation with David Jones, originally called Princes Gate Trust before being renamed Dare To Dream, that has helped raise £1m which primarily helped underprivileged children.

Jones has supported the military and gave them a donation of more than £50,000 from his testimonial year.

More recently, Jones raised £100,000 for the National Health Service with a series of challenges that included completing a marathon in his Swansea garden in April 2020.

He was supporting a campaign to raise extra resources for the Swansea Bay University LHB charitable fund during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Jones estimated the run would require around 700 lengths of his garden and completed his challenge in just under four hours and 44 minutes.

In November 2020, Jones and Shane Williams helped raise £10,000 for men's mental health.

Ryan Jones has completed a number of charity fundraising challenges during the coronavirus pandemic, including running a marathon on a treadmill in his kitchen

"To be recognised for things outside of rugby was particularly powerful for me," added Jones.

"That is probably the significance of this award. People might know what I have done on the field but to be recognised for other things is probably the bit that carries more weight.

"Throughout my career I have always tried to support causes close to my heart.

"Rugby has given me everything I have got and trying to use that platform to help others is important."

Jones now works for Sport Wales and has become a non-executive member of the Welsh Rugby Players' Association board.

Phillips, 52, had added Jones to the WRU in one of his first moves after taking over from Roger Lewis in 2015.

Wales enjoyed on-field success during Phillips' tenure, winning a Grand Slam, going 14 matches unbeaten and reaching the 2019 World Cup semi-final.

Former Welsh Rugby Union chief executive Martyn Phillips (right) appointed Wayne Pivac to replace Warren Gatland as the new Wales coach in 2019

He oversaw the transition from head coach Warren Gatland to Wayne Pivac and dealt with the controversy of Rob Howley returning home from the 2019 World Cup because of betting breaches.

Off the field, under his tenure, the WRU said it achieved record revenues which it says led to increased investments in the professional and community game. Phillips left the WRU in 2020.

Bertram Phillips was also awarded an MBE for services to Sport and the community in Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire.

Phillips has been a part of Llanboidy Tug of War Club ever since it was started in 1968 and was a member of the squad which won the 1977 World Championships in Jersey.