Leadership qualities to fore for Sam
PLAYER PROFILE SAM JONES
MACCLESFIELD Rugby Club’s second team skipper is another player whose father and grandfather both played for the Club with great distinction.
Peter Jones was a former President and for many years a first team player during the 60s and 70s, and father Richard Jones is the current club Forwards Coach – both are on the Honours Board for playing over 500 senior games.
Sam, in his second year as captain of the 2nd XV, says that this season has been much more comfortable for him, he’s got a full year’s experience and Pete Langley as Manager has been a huge assistance.
He was introduced to MRUFC Mini Rugby at age 7, but in those days didn’t take readily to rugby, all his pals preferred football so he joined in with the round ball game. Fortunately for us at age 11 and attending All Hallows School he rejoined the Club into the Junior Section.
After Colts he went off to Leeds Metropolitan University, now renamed Leeds Beckett on a sports science course and there he played for West Park Bramhope RC; a club well known to Macclesfield
Like his father he’s always been a flanker, preferring the open side; he loves being involved in every aspect of play and sees the back row partnership as being a huge influence on the game for the way sides both attack and defend. Being able to get to the breakdown first and recycle the ball or creating havoc with opposition possession are both factors which he believes can exert massive dividends for his side.
And being a natural leader, he loves the responsibility of captaincy, both on the training ground, in the pre-match warm ups, leading the motivational talks in the dressing room before games and being in the forefront of the action during matches; and along with Pete Langley congratulating his players in the post match huddles.
Sam is a voracious trainer, as well as squad sessions every Tuesday and Thursday, he does a full gym routine regularly with weights for improving his upper body strength and also fits in his running roadwork. His other passion is the very physical sport of rock climbing, where again that upper body strength is essential. Sam has climbed on the sheer limestone cliffs Fontainebleau in France and climbs in the UK with team-mate Pete Milne. During winter months they use climbing walls.
Like most players he loves the rugby club atmosphere and was at pains to compliment the house committee on the adaptation of the Clubhouse to create the Spiral Lounge: “This has changed us into a friendly homely bar where everybody mixes, the players, supporters, opposition and officials all mix together.”
Sam commutes from Macclesfield to Salford for his job in the County Court, money claims section; he says one benefit from the current lockdown is that it cuts his travelling time in half! He lives with his partner and enjoys listening to alternative rock and punk music when they are not travelling the world, indeed for three months after graduating he backpacked on his own in South East Asia to Cambodia, China, Vietnam and Thailand. Now together they go closer to Croatia and the Mediterranean.
Sam felt the social highlight last season, was the end of season Awards Night where all our ladies were fêted, and presentations made for meritorious contributions. What a pity this event didn’t happen again this year – but there’s always next season.