“The first time I played rugby sevens was at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman,” she says of the Ammanford school famed for producing Shane Williams. It was only two years ago that Jones put in a star performance for YDA as they stormed to the 2015 Rosslyn Park National Sevens Girls title.
That same year, Jones won her first rugby union cap against Scotland, having captained her country in sevens at U18 level. A fly-half for Scarlets – where she has added to her list of accomplishments a Regional Player of the Year award – and her grassroots club Penybanc, Jones transferred over to international sevens last year.
“I’ve played a lot more sevens this year,” says the 20-year-old Hartpury student. “I’m getting faster and fitter. You need to be on top of your speed and fitness, because they’re such crucial aspects of the game.”
She credits Wales Women’s strength and conditioning coach James Nolan for helping her to achieve those gains: “James is really good. The sessions are hard, but he makes them fun, which is not an easy thing to do. It’s fun fitness.
“There’s a great energy and intensity in the team, which started building during our training camps leading into Rugby Europe. Now we’re just looking forward to the next challenge in Kazan on Saturday.”
The added zip Jones has shown on the sevens circuit this season might be down to the fact that she was out of action for Scarlets last season with injury. “I didn’t play at all, which was disappointing,” she says, “but the upside is that I’ve been fresh going straight into Rugby Europe.”
Jones will arrive in Russia on the back of an outstanding display in Brive a fortnight ago, which helped head coach Nick Wakley’s side reach the quarter-final stage of the competition. “It was one of the best tournaments I’ve played in. That’s down to all the hard work we’ve done in training and the team cohesion we now have.”
One of her aims this year is to make Rowland Phillips’s squad for the World Cup in Ireland next month, but she’s not letting her focus slip from the immediate challenge in front of her: namely Kazan and a pool featuring Italy, the Netherlands and number one seeds Russia.
Not one to mince her words, Jones finishes with: “We just have to smash it.”
Rugby Europe will be live streaming the action from Kazan here.
Wales Women Sevens squad for Kazan:
Sian Williams (c); Shona Powell-Hughes; Dyddgu Hywel; Gemma Rowland; Bethan Dainton
Rhiannon Parker; Ffion Lewis; Elinor Snowsill; Hannah Jones; Philippa Tuttiett; Sinead Breeze; Jasmine Joyce (Travelling Reserve: Jodie Evans)
