In the coming years, the Welsh Rugby Union has big plans to ramp up its exile program in a battle for the loyalty of dual-qualified players.
The program will mainly focus on convincing players to return from England or the other home countries, while they will no doubt look across the southern hemisphere for a new Taine Plumtree. But the WRU might also want to consider turning their attention to Japan’s Shizuoka Prefecture on the Pacific coast.
As they head that way, they encounter Richard Goh Jones, a Shizuoka Blue Revs flanker who competes in Japan Rugby League One, the premier rugby competition in the Far East. Jones was born and raised in Japan but qualifies for Wales through his father, David Jones.
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“I was named Richard after my grandfather, who came from Wales,” Jones tells WalesOnline. “He came from Pontcymer near Bridgend and that’s where I get my Welsh blood from.
“My father David came to Japan to teach English at university. Then he met my mother Akiaa in Japan and decided to stay here.
“I’ve been to Wales before and the last time was about 12 years ago. I remember it being so quiet compared to the cities in Japan and there being lots of sheep!
‘That’s what I remember. There was a lot of countryside, a lot of rain and a lot of sheep.
“My dad is a big rugby fan. He used to watch the games and the World Cup and always shout the F-word at the TV.”
In Shizuoka, rugby isn’t the main sport, but it’s still popular enough for Jones’ team to occasionally draw crowds of more than 8,000. Jones plays at the back row for Shizuoka Blue Revs and has been a regular starter for the past two seasons, with the 25-year-old crediting his father with steering him towards rugby.
“In terms of my rugby background, I played football until I was 12,” he says. “Then I just got bored of it and the nearby high school I went to had a small rugby club.
“My dad, who is also a former rugby player, used to watch rugby every week. Until then I didn’t really care, but one day I happened to watch it and fell in love with it.
“I asked my father, ‘What is this sport?’ He said it was rugby and that’s how I got into rugby.
“I was about 12 or 13. Since then I just kept playing rugby. When I started playing, I didn’t know any players or even understand the position I was playing in. But as time went on, I understood game more and more.
“As a college captain in my final years I was really inspired by Sam Warburton, not only as a rugby player but also as a captain. How he led the team with such confidence and his overall understanding of the sport really inspired me in regards to what kind of player I wanted to be.
“So Sam Warburton was the player I was really inspired by.”
In Japanese rugby, most indigenous players are semi-professional and work for their club’s parent companies. The system is set up so that players have a career or job to fall back on when they finish rugby. In Jones’ case, he works as an interpreter for Yamaha.
“I sit in an office in front of a computer and translate sheets that will be used in meetings and things that will be used in informing people abroad,” he said. ‘I’m going to translate that into English.
“Also, if something comes from abroad, I translate it into Japanese. I think I’m just starting out as a rugby player and my goal is to become an international rugby player.”
Jones has made waves for Shizuoka Blue Revs, who finished eighth in the 12-team Japan Rugby League One, winning six matches and losing eight. The back rower’s performances were so impressive that he was awarded the prestigious Golden Shoulder award, which is given to the best tackler and chosen by the players.
“As a player I’m not going to do anything really brilliant,” he said. “I’m not going to hit huge win lines, I’m not going to score tries in every game and I’m not that brilliant of a player. I wish I could be that, but I quickly realized that I wouldn’t be.
“I think I would describe myself as a player who is always there and always goes through that phase that hurts. I’m not going to like it, but I will do it.”
“That’s the kind of player I want to be. My strength is my approach.
“I love the physical side of the game, getting into it and putting in a lot of work. That’s the main reason I fell in love with rugby in the first place, that physicality.”
Jones is fortunate to be mentored by two-time South African Rugby World Cup-winning openside Kwagga Smith, while former All Blacks Charles Piutau and Bryn Hall are also his team-mates. “It’s very surreal because Charles and Kwagga are two players I would never have dreamed of playing with a few years ago,” he said.
“I have a lot to learn from them, but I’m going to take this opportunity to learn from them. It’s just a really good environment to be around, especially playing with someone like Kwagga, who plays in the same position as I.
“I have so much to learn from him, not just from his rugby side but also from his mentality. I have so much to learn.
“I also played against Liam Williams. I took a picture with him after the game and thought, ‘Gosh, I’ve always seen this guy play on TV.’ It was surreal.”
And now the key question; If Jones ever gets the chance to play Test rugby, would he want to represent Japan or Wales? “I knew this question was coming, so I thought about it for a whole week,” he said.
“Ideally, I have been born and raised in Japan for over 20 years. If I am selected for Japan then that will be fantastic. But as a person who can represent both countries it would be a great honor to be called up by Wales.”