Michael Jones
Personal information
Full name	Michael Niko Jones
Date of birth	April 8, 1965 (1965-04-08) (age 43)
Place of birth	Auckland, New Zealand
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight	98 kg (15 st 6 lb)
Nickname	Iceman, Ice
School	Henderson High
University	University of Auckland
Occupation(s)	Amateur rugby union footballer
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position	Flanker, Number eight
All Black No.	882
National team(s)
1986 1987-1998	Samoa New Zealand	1 55	(0) (56)
Coaching career
2004-2006	Samoa

Michael Niko Jones (born 8 April 1965 in Auckland, New Zealand), is a former rugby union player and current coach. He has been named as one of the world's greatest players of all time by The Times and also the third-greatest All Black of all time after Colin Meads and Sean Fitzpatrick. He was nicknamed the 'Iceman' because of the cool but confident manner in which he played. However, most of those whom Jones played with referred to him simply as Ice due to the high frequency of injuries and icepacks he required during a season. John Hart, who first selected him for Auckland, called him "almost the perfect rugby player." April 8 is the 98th day of the year (99th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_New_Zealand. ... For other uses, see Auckland (disambiguation). ... The University of Auckland (Māori: Te Whare Wānanga o Tāmaki Makaurau) is New Zealands largest research-based university. ... For other uses, see Rugby (disambiguation). ... A normal Rugby union team formation illustrating each of the positions and their respective numbers. ... A rugby union team is made up of 15 players: eight forwards, numbered from 1 to 8; and seven backs, numbered from 9 to 15[1]. Depending upon the competition, there may be up to seven replacements. ... A normal Rugby union team formation illustrating each of the positions and their respective numbers. ... First international Australia 3 - 22 New Zealand (15 August 1903) Largest win New Zealand 145 - 17 Japan (4 June 1995) Worst defeat Australia 28 - 7 New Zealand (28 August 1999) World Cup Appearances 6 (First in 1987) Best result Champions, 1987 All Black redirects here. ... The following is a list of international rugby union teams: // The British and Irish Lions are a separate case, being a combination of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Samoa. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_New_Zealand. ... Michael Jones or Mike Jones can refer to: Colonel Michael Jones (soldier), Roundhead soldier who fought in the Battle of Rathmines outside Dublin in 1649 Michael Jones (new age pianist) Michael Niko Jones, New Zealand rugby player Mike Jones (rapper) Mike Jones (jazz musician) Michael Caton-Jones, Scottish film director... April 8 is the 98th day of the year (99th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Auckland (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Rugby (disambiguation). ... The Times is a national newspaper published daily in the United Kingdom (and the Kingdom of Great Britain before the United Kingdom existed) since 1788 when it was known as The Daily Universal Register. ... First international Australia 3 - 22 New Zealand (15 August 1903) Largest win New Zealand 145 - 17 Japan (4 June 1995) Worst defeat Australia 28 - 7 New Zealand (28 August 1999) World Cup Appearances 6 (First in 1987) Best result Champions, 1987 All Black redirects here. ... Colin Earl Meads (born June 3, 1936 in Cambridge, New Zealand) nicknamed Pinetree, is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer who played 133 times (55 of these were test matches) as an All Black from 1957 until 1971. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... The Auckland Rugby Football Union (ARFU) is the governing body of rugby union in the Auckland isthmus territorial authority in the North Island in New Zealand. ...

Jones came to prominence initially as an openside flanker, making his international debut for New Zealand during the 1987 Rugby Union World Cup, where he scored the first try of the tournament, after playing one Test the previous year for Western Samoa, for whom he qualified through one of his parents. He had made his first-class debut in 1985 for his Auckland provincial side in the National Provincial Championship. A normal Rugby union team formation illustrating each of the positions and their respective numbers. ... The first Rugby Union World Cup took place in New Zealand and Australia in 1987, and was won by New Zealand. ... First international  Western Samoa 0 - 6 Fiji  (18 August 1924) Largest win  Korea 3 - 74 Western Samoa  (1993) Worst defeat  Australia 73 -3 Western Samoa  (1994) World Cup Appearances 4 (First in 1991) Best result Quarter Finals, 1991, 1995 The national rugby union team of Samoa is called Manu Samoa... This article is about the year. ... The Air New Zealand Cup (also referred to by its previous name of the National Provincial Championship, its abbreviation of NPC, or for sponsorship reasons as the Air New Zealand NPC) is New Zealands professional domestic rugby union competition. ...

Jones has been credited with revolutionizing the openside flanker position with his physical prowess, superior fitness, and uncanny instincts to be wherever the ball would be, as evidenced by his 13 international tries. He scored the first try of the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987, and also the first try of the second World Cup in 1991. Later in his career, lacking the speed which characterized his early career, he played predominantly as a blindside flanker or number eight. In 1998 he was dropped from the All Blacks at the age of 33. A normal Rugby union team formation illustrating each of the positions and their respective numbers. ...

Jones' career was blighted by some serious injuries, notably two serious knee injuries and a broken jaw, so that although he was first choice whenever his physical condition allowed, he only played 55 full internationals during a period when New Zealand played almost 90 internationals. His number of appearances was also affected by his strong Christian beliefs, as he refused to play on Sundays. Although he was selected for the 1987 and 1991 All Black World Cup squads, he was omitted from the 1995 squad because of this refusal to play on Sundays, which would have meant that he would have been unavailable for the quarterfinal and semifinal games. For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). ...

Jones has been a positive role model, particularly for Pacific Islander youth in New Zealand, both during his career and since his retirement in 1998. A strong Christian man who refused to play on Sundays to honor the Sabbath, it was once asked of him how a Christian such as himself could be such an uncompromising tackler. In reply he wryly quoted a phrase from the Bible: It is better to give than receive. Pacific Islands (or Pacific Person, pl: Pacific People, also called Oceanic[s]), is a geographic term used in several places, such as New Zealand and the United States, to describe the inhabitants of any of the three major sub-regions of Oceania. ... For other uses, see Bible (disambiguation). ...

On 7 April 2004 Jones was appointed national coach of Samoa, replacing New Zealander John Boe. He had previously served as Boe's assistant coach during the 2003 World Cup.

He was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame in 2003. Not to be confused with IRB Hall of Fame. ...

Jones graduated from the University of Auckland with three degrees: a B.A., a M.A. and a BPlan. The University of Auckland (Māori: Te Whare Wānanga o Tāmaki Makaurau) is New Zealands largest research-based university. ... A Bachelor of Arts (B.A. or A.B.) is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course or program in the arts and/or sciences. ... A Master of Arts is a postgraduate academic masters degree awarded by universities in North America and the United Kingdom (excluding the ancient universities of Scotland and Oxbridge. ...

There was speculation that Jones had resigned as coach of the Manu Samoa team just after the players flew out to New Zealand to prepare for their 2007 South Africa tour. However, after talks with the Manu Samoan Union over whether his role should become full time until the World Cup Jones joined the team on tour. ^[1]

Notes and references

Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Michael Jones at AllBlacks.com