{"id":82335,"date":"2025-08-21T10:12:08","date_gmt":"2025-08-21T10:12:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/82335\/"},"modified":"2025-08-21T10:12:08","modified_gmt":"2025-08-21T10:12:08","slug":"alun-wyn-jones-and-to-make-rugby-returns-as-mike-ruddock-takes-on-different-role","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/82335\/","title":{"rendered":"Alun Wyn Jones and to make rugby returns as Mike Ruddock takes on different role"},"content":{"rendered":"

Five British & Irish Lions and more than 20 international or regional players will be playing<\/p>\n

10:10, 21 Aug 2025Updated 11:04, 21 Aug 2025<\/p>\n

\"AlunAlun Wyn Jones(Image: 2023 Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Alun Wyn Jones is among the big names that will be lacing up their boots and stepping back on to the rugby field this weekend as part of a star-studded event in Swansea<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Jimmy Crackers’ Sevens tournament at Mumbles RFC has been running for over 30 years but is back bigger and better than ever for 2025, with an exciting new competition introduced. An action-packed weekend will kick-off with the Mumbles 1st XV taking on Gorseinon, with junior fixtures – from U5s through to youth teams – being held on the Saturday.<\/p>\n

However, in a new addition to the event, an Over-35s touch rugby tournament will be held on the Saturday evening, featuring over 150 players, including five British & Irish Lions and more than 20 international or regional players.<\/p>\n

Among them is former Wales captain Jones, who retired from rugby in 2023 having become the most-capped international player in the history of the sport, with 170 overall.<\/p>\n

Scarlets<\/a> head coach Dwayne Peel, former Ireland international Jared Payne and Tonga lock Sam Lousi are also taking part, alongside Aled Jenkins and Richie Pugh.<\/p>\n

The event will also see former Wales head coach Mike Ruddock take on a very different role, with the 65-year-old and his band set to entertain the crowds with music.<\/p>\n

Mike Ruddock(Image: Dave Winter\/Icon Sport via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Sunday will then see the main event – The Jimmy Cracker’s Sevens – play out, with eight men’s teams, eight women’s teams and 12 mixed touch teams set to be involved.<\/p>\n

Jonathan ‘Jiffy’ Davies, who completed his latest Cancer 50 Challenge, which saw him cycle between Cardiff<\/a> and Swansea to raise money for Velindre and the Swansea Bay Health Charity is a big supporter of the event. You can see the best photos from that event here.<\/a><\/p>\n

Davies said: “It’s great to see Crackers back this year!<\/p>\n

“The introduction of the new over 35 Vets touch tournament will really enhance the weekend. It’s great to see so many local boys playing and supporting Mumbles RFC.”<\/p>\n

Scarlets coach and former Lions player Payne added: “Since moving to live in Mumbles it’s clear to see that the rugby community is thriving.<\/p>\n

“As a club one of the calendar events is the notorious Cracker 7’s, with the addition of the Vets touch competition this year linking up with local businesses it really adds to the weekend and is now a full weekend of rugby.”<\/p>\n

Former Wales international Pugh said: “It’s really special to be back at the Mumbles Cracker Sevens. I first played here when I was 17, and now with the vets touch I can lace my boots up again.<\/p>\n

“What makes it even better is seeing my kids playing during the day and being part of the same tournament I grew up with. It’s brilliant to see so many local companies getting behind the event and to have some fantastic players back out on the field.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Five British & Irish Lions and more than 20 international or regional players will be playing 10:10, 21…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":82336,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[41649,41650,41648,5903,101,2966,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-82335","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-rugby","8":"tag-alun-wyn-jones","9":"tag-jonathan-jiffy-davies","10":"tag-mumbles","11":"tag-rugby","12":"tag-sports","13":"tag-swansea","14":"tag-uk","15":"tag-united-kingdom","16":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82335","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=82335"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82335\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/82336"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=82335"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=82335"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=82335"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}