Michael Jones (rugby union)

Michael Niko Jones ( born April 8, 1965 in Auckland, New Zealand ) is a former New Zealand rugby union player, who works as a trainer today. He was employed in the position of winger and the number eight. Jones, who is part of Samoan descent, is considered alongside Colin Meads and Sean Fitzpatrick as one of the best New Zealand rugby player of all time. His greatest achievement was winning the world title in 1987 Jones ' nickname is "Iceman ." - On the one hand because of its marked by coolness occurrence, but especially because of the many small injuries that had to be treated with ice packs.

Career

Jones graduated in 1986 a game for the national team Samoa. In 1987, he was - to have played without ever for the All Blacks - appointed to the New Zealand squad for the first World Cup because of its outstanding performance in the championship. Against Italy he scored the first World Cup game in history the first attempt ever. Jones was instrumental to winning the world title, but he missed the semi-final, because as a devout Christian always refused to play on Sundays.

On July 29, 1989 he suffered in a game against Argentina a serious knee injury, and he was sidelined for almost a year. At the 1991 World Cup Jones scored again the first try of the tournament and finally reached the final third rank. For the 1995 World Cup Jones, however, was not summoned because he still did not want to play on Sundays, and so in the quarter finals and the semi-final could not have been used. His last game for the All Blacks, he completed on 1 August 1998 in Christchurch.

At the provincial level, Jones played for the national team of the Auckland Rugby Football Union in the National Provincial Championship and led them between 1985 and 1999 to ten league titles. Following the professionalisation of Rugby Union in the mid -1990s he played in addition to the Super - 12 League for the Blues and in 1996 and 1997 champion. In 1999 he retired from professional sports.

Jones studied at the University of Auckland and graduated as Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts. In 2003 he was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame. On 7 April 2004 he took over the post of coach of the Samoan national team, after he had previously been an assistant coach for one year.

Achievements

National team:

Clubs:

• Super 12 winner with the Blues: 1996, 1997
• NPC champion with Auckland RFU: 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999