Gethin Jenkins facts for kids
Jenkins from 2007 Rugby World Cup under Wales team
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| Birth name | Gethin Jenkins | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 17 November 1980 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Llanilltud Faerdref, Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 121 kg (267 lb; 19 st 1 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Bryn Celynnog Comprehensive School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rugby league career
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Playing information
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Gethin Jenkins (born 17 November 1980) is a famous Welsh former professional rugby union player. He played as a prop, which is a strong player in the front row of a rugby team. Gethin played for several clubs, including Pontypridd, Celtic Warriors, Cardiff Blues, and Toulon.
He also played for the Welsh national team an amazing 129 times! In 2014, he became Wales' most-capped player, meaning he had played the most games for his country. He is one of only a few Welsh players to have won three Grand Slams, which means winning every game in the Six Nations Championship. Gethin also played five times for the British & Irish Lions, a special team made up of players from the UK and Ireland. He is one of the most-capped rugby players in history.
Gethin retired from playing rugby in November 2018 because of a knee injury. After he stopped playing, he started coaching. He has coached for the Cardiff Blues and is now a defence coach for the Welsh national team.
Contents
Early Rugby Days
Gethin Jenkins went to Llwyncrwn Primary School and Bryn Celynnog Comprehensive School in Beddau. He started playing rugby union when he was 13 years old at Beddau RFC, a local club in Pontypridd.
Club Rugby Career
Gethin played youth rugby for Pontypridd. He even captained his team to win a Welsh Cup in 1998. He became a regular player for the first team and helped Pontypridd win the last Principality Cup before Welsh rugby changed its structure. They also nearly won the Parker Pen Shield, losing in the final.
After Welsh rugby teams were reorganized into larger regional teams, Gethin joined the Celtic Warriors. When that team closed after just one season, Gethin signed with the Cardiff Blues.
While playing for the Cardiff Blues, he helped them win the Amlin Challenge Cup. They also reached the semi-finals of the Heineken Cup, which is a very big European competition. After a great performance in the 2011 Rugby World Cup, many clubs wanted him. Gethin decided to join the French team Toulon for the 2012-13 season.
At Toulon, Gethin became the ninth Welsh player to win the Heineken Cup. He came on as a substitute in the final against Clermont Auvergne. This made him only the second Welsh player, along with Rob Howley, to win both major European rugby cups. He had won the Amlin Challenge Cup with Cardiff Blues in 2010 and the Heineken Cup with Toulon in 2013.
Playing for Wales and the Lions
Playing for Wales
Gethin Jenkins first played for Wales in 2002 against Romania. In the 2005 Six Nations Championship, he was a very important player for Wales. He helped them win the Grand Slam, scoring a memorable try against Ireland.
In November 2007, Gethin was asked to be the captain for Wales in a game against South Africa. He was captain for just one game. Later, Warren Gatland became the new coach and chose Ryan Jones as the captain. However, Gethin kept his important spot in the team.
Gethin captained Wales again in November 2009 against Australia. He also led Wales in their final game of the 2013 Six Nations Championship in Cardiff. Wales won that game against England 30-3, which meant they won the Championship!
On 30 November 2013, in a game against Australia, Gethin became the most-capped forward for Wales. This meant he had played more games than any other forward player for Wales. On 15 March 2014, against Scotland, he became the most-capped player for Wales overall, playing more games than Stephen Jones.
In 2015, Gethin became the world's most-capped prop forward ever, playing more games than Jason Leonard. He also played in the 2016 Six Nations and captained Wales during the Autumn international games that year.
Playing for the British & Irish Lions
Gethin was chosen to play for the British & Irish Lions on their tour to New Zealand in 2005. He played in all three important test matches.
In April 2009, Gethin was again picked for the British & Irish Lions for their tour to South Africa. In June 2009, Gethin, Adam Jones, and Matthew Rees were chosen as the front row for the Lions' second test against South Africa. This was a special moment because it was the first time an all-Welsh front row had played for the Lions in a test match since 1955!
Gethin was selected for the British & Irish Lions for a third time for the 2013 tour. However, he had to pull out due to an injury. He almost made the team for the 2017 tour to New Zealand but his knee injury problems prevented it.
International Tries
Gethin Jenkins scored four tries for Wales during his international career.
| Try | Opponent | Location | Venue | Competition | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Romania |
Cardiff, Wales | Millennium Stadium | 2004 Autumn Internationals | 12 November 2004 | Win |
| 2 |  Japan |
Cardiff, Wales | Millennium Stadium | 2004 Autumn Internationals | 26 November 2004 | Win |
| 3 |  Ireland |
Cardiff, Wales | Millennium Stadium | 2005 Six Nations | 19 March 2005 | Win |
| 4 |  Namibia |
New Plymouth, New Zealand | Yarrow Stadium | 2011 Rugby World Cup | 26 September 2011 | Win |
Coaching Career
After retiring from playing, Gethin Jenkins started coaching. He began as a defence coach for Cardiff RFC, while he was still playing for Cardiff Blues.
In 2020, he helped the Wales Under-20 team as a defence coach. Later that year, he joined the senior Welsh national team as a technical coach for the 2020 Autumn Nations Series.
Before the 2021 Six Nations, his role became permanent, and he is now the full-time defence coach for the Welsh national team.
Playing Style
Gethin Jenkins usually played as a loosehead prop, but he could also play as a tighthead prop. He was known as a "new-breed" front-row player because he was fast and fit. He was also good at winning the ball back for his team.
Even though he looked serious on the field, he was a very respected and liked player. People often called him "Melon."
Rugby League
Gethin Jenkins also played rugby league. He played regularly for the Cardiff Demons in the late 1990s. He helped them reach the 1998 Division Two Academy Grand Final.
See also
In Spanish: Gethin Jenkins para niños
