![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2_jones.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Chris Jones has dedicated over 30 years to Rhondda Schools Rugby(Image: South Wales Echo)<\/p>\n
\u201cChris played a huge part in the early stages of my playing days and put me in good stead for the rest of my career,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
\u201cA number of future internationals came through the system there. He instilled the values and the work ethic that set us up ready for the challenges ahead.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have got huge admiration for him for what he has done and is still doing.\u201d<\/p>\n
After playing youth rugby for Tonyrefail, Rees started his senior career with Pontypridd<\/a> and then, after a season with the ill-fated Celtic Warriors, he embarked on a nine-year stay at the Scarlets<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI was still very young and raw in terms of a front rower when I went down there,\u201d he recalls.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I was given opportunities and probably kicked on a lot quicker than I thought I would have.\u201d<\/p>\n That, in turn, saw him receive the call from Wales and in the summer of 2005 he made his Test debut against the USA in Hartford, Connecticut.<\/p>\n The strong-scrummaging hooker was to remain a regular fixture in the squad for the best part of a decade, with a series of highlights along the way.<\/p>\n Welsh hooker Matthew Rees playing in 2006(Image: Offside)<\/p>\n \u201cThere are a few games that stand out,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously, there\u2019s your first one, the cap out in America. For any youngster, your ultimate dream is to play for Wales. For a Tonyrefail boy to come through and do it the hard way was a massive achievement for me, my family and the village.<\/p>\n \u201cThen, once you have one, you want to get to ten and so on.<\/p>\n \u201cThe game that really sticks out in my mind is the Triple Crown clincher against Ireland out in Croke Park in 2008. That was a big one for me.<\/p>\n \u201cI was originally selected for the bench, but Huw Bennett went down ill the morning of the match, so I was called in to start at the 11th hour.<\/p>\n \u201cI probably had one of my best games for Wales in terms of lineout success against Paul O\u2019Connell and Donncha O\u2019Callaghan, two very shrewd lineout operators defensively. I think we had 100 per cent lineout and the scrum was very solid.<\/p>\n \u201cThen there was my 50th cap against France in the Grand Slam game in Cardiff<\/a> in 2012.<\/p>\n \u201cThey are probably the three that stick out in my mind.\u201d<\/p>\n Another huge highlight for Rees was the 2009 British & Irish Lions tour of South Africa.<\/p>\n Matthew Rees playing for the British and Irish Lions in 2009(Image: David Davies\/PA Wire)<\/p>\n He was to figure in all three Tests, coming off the bench in the first and then starting the next two.<\/p>\n In the infamous second Test against the Springboks at Pretoria\u2019s Loftus Versfeld, he was selected alongside props Gethin Jenkins and Adam Jones.<\/p>\n It was the first time an all-Welsh front row had been picked for a Lions Test since Billy Williams, Bryn Meredith and Courtney Meredith packed down together in the same country in 1955.<\/p>\n “It\u2019s the pinnacle of anyone\u2019s career to be selected for the Lions and then to be Test Lion as well,\u201d says Rees.<\/p>\n \u201cI had worked hard on my game over the previous few years. That helped me to get on the tour and that was the next step for me. It brought me on as a player again. Being in an environment like the Lions is when you find out the true person inside you.<\/p>\n \u201cI was able to play a part in the three Tests, with the second being the standout one by a country mile.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was the most physically intense game I played in during my career.<\/p>\n \u201cAny time you play a South African team, you know what\u2019s coming, especially out there. It\u2019s a hostile environment. But that game was something else.<\/p>\n \u201cIf it was played today, it would probably end up seven a side!<\/p>\n \u201cThat was the brutality of that game. Clips of it will pop up from time to time and you think \u2018Bloody hell, how was that allowed?\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cI will never forget, after that game, five of our players ended up in hospital.<\/p>\n \u201cFor the last week, we hardly trained. The boys were so battered and bruised. That\u2019s how intense that second Test was.\u201d<\/p>\n It was the Springboks who came out on top 28-25 in Pretoria thanks to Morne Steyn landing a decisive penalty with the last kick of the game.<\/p>\n That meant they had clinched the series, having won the opener 26-21 in Durban.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a difficult one to take that second Test. We probably deserved to win that game,\u201d says Rees.<\/p>\n \u201cWe got the result in the third Test, but obviously we lost the series.\u201d<\/p>\n He added: \u201cTo experience a Lions tour is something very special.<\/p>\n \u201cBeing selected is one thing, but there is still a lot of work to do then.<\/p>\n \u201cI am just grateful that I came back as a Test Lion and I thought I had a very strong tour.\u201d<\/p>\n The famous Wales front row of Adam Jones, Matthew Rees and Gethin Jenkins(Image: 2012 Getty Images)<\/p>\n The following year, Scarlets skipper Rees had the further honour of being asked to captain his country.<\/p>\n With Ryan Jones injured, it was his hooker that coach Warren Gatland<\/a> picked to lead Wales out against Australia at the Millennium Stadium in the 2010 autumn opener.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a real surprise. I will never forget the way Gats asked me.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were in the barn up at the Vale and he literally just walked past and said \u2018Do you want to be captain on the weekend? If not, don\u2019t worry, I will get someone else to do it\u2019 and he just walked on.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was Gats for you!\u201d<\/p>\n Rees stayed as skipper for the subsequent autumn Tests against South Africa and New Zealand and then retained the role for the 2011 Six Nations<\/a>, leading Wales to three Championship victories, including a win over Ireland where his quick throw-in paved the way for a contentious try from Mike Phillips.<\/p>\n \u201cI had a run of games and, in my own mind, I felt I did really well as a captain and a leader.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s always a challenge in Wales as the captain.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I enjoyed it and I feel I had a big part to play in those campaigns that I did have the captaincy for.<\/p>\n \u201cPlaying for your country is something you always dream of. Captaining your country is obviously at another level again. It was a great achievement for me and my family.\u201d<\/p>\n Having handled the job well, Rees was all set to lead Wales into the 2011 World Cup out in New Zealand.<\/p>\n But then fate intervened as he was ruled out of the tournament by a neck injury which required surgery, with young Sam Warburton taking over at the helm.<\/p>\n (Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n \u201cThe medical staff did everything they could to give me a chance to go, but ultimately it wasn\u2019t to be,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \u201cI was just in too much discomfort.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was one of the hardest decisions I had to make, but there was no way I could play and ultimately I had to do what was best for myself and the team.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was just unfortunate. A neck injury for a front row is a difficult one.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a disappointment because I knew we were in a good place as a squad. With the training camps we had, the boys were literally the fittest we had ever been and I knew we were going to do really well and we did, reaching the semi-final and being unlucky not to reach the final.<\/p>\n \u201cTo miss out on the success they had in that World Cup was tough to take. I could have been there as captain. That\u2019s probably the one big regret from my career.\u201d<\/p>\n Having recovered, Rees returned to the Wales squad for the 2012 Six Nations and started the final two games, including the Grand Slam sealer at home to France.<\/p>\n He went on to captain his country for a ninth and final time in a victory over the Barbarians a couple of months later, while he was also to share in the Championship title triumph of 2013.<\/p>\n The diagnosis that changed everything<\/p>\n But then, later that year, following a move to Cardiff, his rugby career was put on hold when his life took a traumatic turn as he was diagnosed with testicular cancer.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was just the shock more than anything. I didn\u2019t feel any illness,\u201d he recalls.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen anyone says the word cancer, it\u2019s a serious thing.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was tough being diagnosed and going through the treatment.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a challenge to overcome any type of cancer. For me, it was difficult.<\/p>\n \u201cEach cancer has its own risk in terms of survival. There are two types of testicular cancer and the type I had was the worst one out of the two unfortunately.<\/p>\n \u201cEverything plays on your mind and everything is going through your head. Your routine is put on hold and you are entering into the unknown.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was mentally challenging as well as physically challenging.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I was pretty positive all the way through.<\/p>\n \u201cIn my own mind, I was adamant that I wanted to get back playing. I wanted to finish on my own terms.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was the biggest hurdle I had to get over, to make sure I was able to do that.<\/p>\n \u201cI had some dark days and there were times where I thought I would never play the game again, but I overcame that and came out the other side.\u201d<\/p>\n Matthew Rees after returning from cancer treatment<\/p>\n Looking back, Rees remains hugely thankful to the people who cared for him at Velindre Hospital in Cardiff during his treatment.<\/p>\n \u201cThe staff were remarkable. They couldn\u2019t do enough for you,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \u201cThey were outstanding from day one.<\/p>\n \u201cI can only say so much praise for the staff right through Velindre. It\u2019s a special place. The type of people working in these situations, you have got to take your hat off to them.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t realise how much work goes into the treatment side of it. I was overwhelmed with how much support they gave me right through.\u201d<\/p>\n Reflecting on his treatment, he continued: \u201cIt\u2019s taken out of your hands in a way.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve just got to listen to the specialists, take all the guidance on board and back them to make the right decisions for you.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have just got to go through the treatment side of it and hope it works and for me it did.<\/p>\n \u201cI trained pretty much right through up until the end of my treatment. Come the end of it, I hit a bit of a wall, but I took that head on and pushed myself to the limit to make sure it wasn\u2019t going to beat me.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you get the final scan results then after your treatment and you are given the green light, that was the best feeling ever really.\u201d<\/p>\n In addition to the staff at Velindre, Rees also has an enduring appreciation for the backing he received from others.<\/p>\n \u201cThe big thing for me was the support right across the rugby world,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \u201cThere were a lot of players I played against from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa who sent me messages.<\/p>\n \u201cAs much as you want to beat each other when you are on the field, when things like this happen, everyone just gets together and that\u2019s what rugby is all about. That\u2019s what it gives you.<\/p>\n \u201cIt made that five or six months a lot easier to deal with. Maybe if I was in a different job, a different profession, it might have been harder to get through.<\/p>\n \u201cI was just so thankful to everyone for their support.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was phenomenal, to be honest with you. It was overwhelming. You look back and think what a lucky person I am.<\/p>\n \u201cThe support I received from family, friends and the whole rugby world was just amazing and I was so grateful for it.\u201d<\/p>\n After five months out of the game, Rees made an emotional comeback for Cardiff at home to Ulster in March 2014, receiving a moving ovation as he took to the field.<\/p>\n \u201cI will never forget that return game at the Arms Park,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI came on for the last 15-20 minutes and it was a great occasion.<\/p>\n \u201cIt just goes back to how the rugby community works. It was very touching to have that welcome back. Rugby gives you that.<\/p>\n \u201cLooking back at it now, I probably came back a bit too early. It was tough. But it was just good to be back involved in the rugby side of it.<\/p>\n \u201cI was determined to get back out on the field and, fortunately enough, I did that.\u201d<\/p>\n It was to prove a real fast-track return for Rees. A few weeks later, he was chosen to captain the Possibles against the Probables in an old-style trial match at the Liberty Stadium<\/a>.<\/p>\n That was followed by selection for Wales\u2019 2014 summer tour of South Africa where he returned to the international arena by featuring in both Tests against the Springboks.<\/p>\n \u201cTo get selected for that tour and then to get capped again out there was very special.<\/p>\n \u201cAny time you represent your country, it\u2019s a great achievement and a great reward.<\/p>\n \u201cBut, probably from a physical point of view, I didn\u2019t feel I was in the best shape I could have been.<\/p>\n \u201cIn all honesty, I didn\u2019t feel I was 100 per cent fit for international rugby at that stage really.\u201d<\/p>\n That trip was to mark the end of Rees\u2019 Wales career.<\/p>\n After finally calling it a day at 38, Rees moved into coaching and, over the years, he has had spells with Pontypridd, Tonyrefail, Pontyclun, Beddau and Taffs Well.<\/p>\n Now he has linked up with Bargoed for next season.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen the opportunity arose there, it was something that very much appealed to me, knowing the club and the ambition it has, along with a very strong community feel to it and a good coaching group already in place. It\u2019s a proper club.\u201d<\/p>\n He added: \u201cI just try and keep my hand in the game and help and support as much as I can. I do enjoy that side of it.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s different as a coach compared to when you were a player, but you are still involved and I still have my routine.<\/p>\n \u201cThat gives you something to look forward to on the weekend. I enjoy it.<\/p>\n \u201cThe set-piece was always something I prided myself on as a player and I still say that to the front row now. Your priority is your set-piece stuff. Anything outside that is an added bonus.\u201d<\/p>\n Rees is also heavily involved in the game through his work as a player manager with Engage Sport.<\/p>\n \u201cFor me, the biggest challenge for any player is keeping on top of everything,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt can be difficult in the game whether it\u2019s injury, form, selection or contract negotiations and the commercial and the sponsorship side of things.<\/p>\n \u201cIt all plays a big part. People on the outside probably don\u2019t really understand how tough it is to be a professional sportsman with all that going on in the background.<\/p>\n \u201cThe supporters only see the players running out in the games. They don\u2019t see the stuff that goes on behind the scenes.<\/p>\n \u201cWith the players I work with, I see my role as kind of a mentor and supporting them.\u201d<\/p>\n He added: \u201cThe same as for everybody in Welsh rugby, it\u2019s been a challenging time with budget cuts and squads a lot smaller than what we are normally used to.<\/p>\n \u201cI was fortunate to experience the good times in Welsh rugby. They seem many years ago now.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of uncertainty in the game still and a lack of clarity over what\u2019s happening moving forward for the next five to ten years. That\u2019s what everyone wants to hear.\u201d<\/p>\n Now 45, Rees – father to a 19-year-old daughter – still lives in the village of Tonyrefail in Rhondda Cynon Taf.<\/p>\n Rees still lives in Tonyrefail(Image: Mirrorpix)<\/p>\n \u201cI owe the place a hell of a lot. I think honesty is the biggest thing about it, that and the close-knit nature of the community,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cComing from Tonyrefail, you don\u2019t get too big-headed or carried away with it all.<\/p>\n \u201cIt helped shape me as a person. You were brought up with the right values.<\/p>\n \u201cI am still living there and still enjoying life. If it wasn\u2019t for Tonyrefail, I wouldn\u2019t have achieved what I did in the game.\u201d<\/p>\n As for those achievements, he says: \u201cI look back and I was fortunate to experience a couple of Grand Slams and to play a big part on a Lions tour, while I had some good days with the clubs I played for.<\/p>\n \u201cI can sit back and say I had a good career and I am grateful for everything I achieved.<\/p>\n \u201cIf there\u2019s one thing I want to give to young players coming through, it\u2019s that you don\u2019t have to come from the likes of Cardiff, Swansea<\/a> or Newport<\/a> to become an international or even a Lion. You can come from a small village like Tonyrefail.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a big thing for me. You can do it. If you have a strong mindset, good values and good morals you can achieve whatever you want to achieve.\u201d<\/p>\n As for what rugby has given him, he says: \u201cThe biggest thing for me is values and morals. What comes with that is strong relationships and strong connections, friends that you will have forever and great experiences.<\/p>\n \u201cBeing a pro player, you get the luxury of being able to travel to different countries and achieve things.<\/p>\n \u201cI am fortunate to be able to sit back and say I have achieved quite a lot in the game. Not only that, but there\u2019s the duration I spent as a pro player. It was nearly 19 seasons, so I must have done something right! It was a long old stint.<\/p>\n \u201cI have had a bit of luck as well. I am a huge believer that you\u2019ve got to have a bit of luck on your side in the game.<\/p>\n \u201cThere have been so many huge prospects that have come through over the years, but unfortunately, through a freak injury or something, that career has been taken away from them. That’s how cruel the game can be.\u201d<\/p>\n Above all, Rees is able to put everything into the context of his successful battle with cancer.<\/p>\n \u201cAn experience like that in your life will change you,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \u201cIt definitely does give you a different outlook and perspective on life.<\/p>\n \u201cThe most important thing in life is your health. If you haven\u2019t got your health, you haven\u2019t got anything.<\/p>\n \u201cYou do sort of sit back and reflect on what you have gone through and coming out the other side.<\/p>\n \u201cAs you get a bit older, you get a bit wiser and ultimately you sort of cherish every day and you are thankful for every day.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s important that if there\u2019s things you want to do, do them now because in life you never know what is round the corner.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Most former Wales players will tell you how lucky they are to have had the careers they did.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":625573,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[212125,8934,5903,101,56,54,55,9015],"class_list":["post-625572","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-rugby","tag-matthew-rees","tag-premium","tag-rugby","tag-sports","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom","tag-wales-rugby-team"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/625572","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=625572"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/625572\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/625573"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=625572"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=625572"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=625572"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Welsh](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/0_GettyImages-2230116416.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Matthew](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/0_JS408452283.jpg\")
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<\/p>\n![\"Matthew](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/0_JS34494183.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Rees](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/0_WA5984440.jpg\")
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