Denzil Jones (birth registered second ¼ 1926 – 25 December 2010), also known by the

nickname A nickname, in some circumstances also known as a sobriquet, or informally a "moniker", is an informal substitute for the proper name of a person, place, or thing, used to express affection, playfulness, contempt, or a particular character trait ...

of "Buck" (after actor

Buck Jones Buck Jones (born Charles Frederick Gebhart; December 12, 1891 – November 30, 1942) was an American actor, known for his work in many popular Western movies. In his early film appearances, he was credited as Charles Jones. Early life, milit ...

), was a Welsh

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

, and professional

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby 13/XIII in non-Anglophone Europe, is a contact sport, full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular Rugby league playin ...

footballer who played in the 1940s and 1950s. He played club level rugby union (RU) for

Taibach RFC Taibach Rugby Football Club are a Wales, Welsh rugby union club based in Taibach of Port Talbot in Wales, United Kingdom, UK. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is also a feeder club for the Ospreys (rugby union), Ospreys. Taibac ...

and

Aberavon RFC Aberavon Rugby Club () is a rugby union club located in the Welsh town of Port Talbot, though the club's name refers to the older settlement of Aberavon which lies on the western side of the town. The club was founded in 1876 as Afan Football ...

, as a

prop A prop, formally known as a (theatrical) property, is an object actors use on stage or screen during a performance or screen production. In practical terms, a prop is considered to be anything movable or portable on a stage or a set, distinct ...

, and club level rugby league (RL) for

Wigan Wigan ( ) is a town in Greater Manchester, England. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. It is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its ad ...

, as a .

Background

Denzil Jones' birth was registered in

Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Tydfil () is the main town in Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, Wales, administered by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. It is about north of Cardiff. Often called just Merthyr, it is said to be named after Tydfil, daughter of K ...

district, Wales, he worked at the

Margam Knuckle Yard Margam Knuckle Yard is a Rail yard, railway yard in Margam, South Wales, on the South Wales Main Line, operated by DB Schenker Rail (UK). The yard is the major freight yard of the region, handling all of the rail freight movements from Port Talb ...

. and he died aged 84 in

Margam Margam is a suburb and community (Wales), community of Port Talbot in the Wales, Welsh county borough of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, close to junction 39 of the M4 motorway. The community had a population of 3,017 in 2011; the built up area being l ...

, Wales.

Playing career

Notable rugby union tour matches

Denzil Jones played, and was

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

, in the combined

Neath RFC Neath Rugby Football Club () is a Welsh rugby union club which plays in the Indigo Premiership for Season 2024/25. The club's home ground is The Gnoll, Neath. The team is known as the All Blacks because of the team colours: black with only a whi ...

teams' 0–22 defeat by

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

at Talbot Athletic Ground,

Aberavon Aberavon () is a town and community in Neath Port Talbot county borough, Wales. The town derived its name from being near the mouth of the river Afan, which also gave its name to a medieval lordship. Today it is essentially a district of Por ...

on Saturday 17 November 1951.

Rugby league club career

Denzil Jones' made his début for Wigan in the 34-3 victory over Barrow at

Central Park Central Park is an urban park between the Upper West Side and Upper East Side neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City, and the first landscaped park in the United States. It is the List of parks in New York City, sixth-largest park in the ...

on Saturday 24 January 1953, and scored his first try for Wigan in the 37-5 victory over Liverpool City at

on Saturday 7 March 1953.

Genealogical information

Denzil Jones was married to Betty Smart. They had children; Ralph Jones
birth registered
during first ¼ in

Neath Neath (; ) is a market town and Community (Wales), community situated in the Neath Port Talbot, Neath Port Talbot County Borough, Wales. The town had a population of 50,658 in 2011. The community of the parish of Neath had a population of 19,2 ...

district), Pamela Jones
birth registered
during fourth ¼ in

district), and Robert D. Jones
birth registered
during second ¼ in

district).

References

External links

Search for "Denzil" at rugbyleagueproject.orgSearch for "Jones" at rugbyleagueproject.orgStatistics at wigan.rlfans.comObituary at bmdsonline.co.ukObituary at thisisannouncements.co.uk
*(archived by web.archive.org

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Denzil 1926 births 2010 deaths 20th-century Welsh sportsmen Aberavon RFC players Rugby league players from Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Rugby league props Rugby union players from Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Rugby union props Taibach RFC players Welsh rugby league players Welsh rugby union players Wigan Warriors players