Nia Jones (born 6 April 1992) is an athlete who has represented Wales internationally at both netball and football. She won the FAW Young Player of the Year Award in 2011. She was nominated for the SportingWales Magazine and UWIC Rising Star Award in 2013.[2] She currently plays for Adran Premier club Swansea City.
 Nia Jones 2015 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 6 April 1992 | ||
| Place of birth | Wrexham, Wales | ||
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Swansea City | ||
| Number | 24 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Northop Hall Girls | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2010–2015 | Cardiff City | ||
| 2015–2017 | Reading | ||
| 2017 | Yeovil Town | 8 | (0) |
| 2024- | Swansea City | 0 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| Wales U19 | |||
| Wales | 30 | (2) | |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10:37, 15 August 2017 (UTC) | |||
Early and personal life
editJones was born in Wrexham.[2] After attending school at Ysgol Maes Garmon she later studied Sports and PE at the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff.[2]
Netball career
edit| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
6 April 1992 Wrexham, Wales | ||
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[1] | ||
| School | Ysgol Maes Garmon | ||
| University | University of Wales Institute, Cardiff | ||
| Netball career | |||
| Playing position(s): GD, WD | |||
| Years | Club team(s) | Apps | |
| Cardiff Dragons | |||
| Years | National team(s) | Caps | |
| 2012–2019 | Wales | ||
Jones plays netball as either goal defence or wing defence.[1] She began her career at Mold Netball Club, and she captained the Welsh national teams at under-17 and under-21 youth level. She also played for Manchester Thunder Youth and Junior Dragons.[3] She was also Co-Captain of the Wales Senior Team. [2]
She was captain of the Celtic Dragons for their 2019 Super League season.[4]
During the 2021-2022 season she captained the Celtic Dragons, before moving to play for the Leeds Rhinos in the 2022-2023 season.[5] For the 2023-2024 season she returned to Cardiff Dragons[6] (renamed from the Celtic Dragons in August 2023).[7]
Jones played for the Welsh Feathers, and was a squad member at the 2013 Netball Europe Open Championship where they won Gold.[8] She was also part of Team Wales at the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games. In 2015, she was not selected for the Netball World Cup team due to clashes between netball training and an international football fixture. In 2017, she was selected for the Celtic Flames, playing in an International Super Cup competition. [9]
She was captain of the Welsh Feathers during the 2023 Netball World Cup, hosted in South Africa.[10]
In 2024, after the Cardiff Dragons failed to renew her contract for the 2024-2025 season, she decided not to trial for the Welsh National Team, and subsequently announced her retirement from professional netball.[11]
Football career
editJones began her career at Northop Hall Girls, and played for Wales at under-17, under-19 and under-21 level before scoring on her senior debut aged 18, as a substitute in an 8-1 victory over Bulgaria in 2010. [2]
She played club football for Cardiff City, before moving to Reading in the FAWSL in July 2015.[12] She left Reading when her contract expired in 2016.[13] She has also played numerous times at senior international level for Wales.[14] Since 2018, Jones has been a regular pundit and co-commentator at Welsh International matches on behalf of BBC Sport Wales, having also attended the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
On 5 September 2024, Jones signed for Adran Premier club Swansea City on a semi-professional contract for the upcoming season.[15]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Profile". England Netball. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
- ^ a b c d e "Netball: Nia Jones shortlisted for national award". Daily Post. 11 April 2013. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
- ^ "194 – Nia Jones - Wales Netball". 13 June 2023. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
- ^ "Celtic Dragons 'play best as underdogs' - Nia Jones". BBC Sport. 3 March 2019. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
- ^ "Nia Jones joins Leeds Rhinos after departing Celtic Dragons". BBC Sport. 26 August 2022. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
- ^ "Nia Jones: Wales skipper returns to Cardiff Dragons from Leeds Rhinos". BBC Sport. 5 September 2023. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
- ^ Waterhouse, Richard (31 August 2023). "Celtic Dragons unveil new identity as Cardiff Dragons". Netball Super League. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
- ^ "Uncapped Nia Jones named in Wales squad for Euro championship". BBC Sport. 29 May 2013. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
- ^ "Netball: Celtic Flames add Chelsea Lewis and Nia Jones". BBC Sport. 20 June 2017. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
- ^ "Jones Joins Swansea City Following Netball Blow". BBC Sport. 5 September 2024.
- ^ "Jones 'hurt' as Feathers and Dragons career ends". BBC Sport. 18 August 2024.
- ^ "Nia Jones: World Cup netball omission leads to Reading move". BBC Sport. 3 July 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
- ^ "Nia Jones: Wales defender leaves Reading Women as contract expires". BBC Sport. 19 December 2016. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
- ^ "WALES WOMEN'S SENIOR SQUAD ANNOUNCED". Football Association of Wales. 19 February 2015. Archived from the original on 22 February 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Swansea City Women sign defender Nia Jones | Swansea". www.swanseacity.com. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
External links
edit
- Nia Jones at Team Wales
- Nia Jones at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (archived)
- Nia Jones at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (archived)
- Nia Jones at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games
- Nia Jones at WorldFootball.net
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