View source for Neil Jenkins

{{Short description|Wales and British Lions international rugby union player and coach}}
{{Other people}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2015}}
{{Infobox rugby biography
| name           = Neil Jenkins<br>[[Order of the British Empire|MBE]]
| image          = Neil Jenkins. Wales Grand Slam Celebration, Senedd 19 March 2012.jpg
| caption        = Neil Jenkins on 19 March 2012
| birth_name     = Neil Roger Jenkins
| birth_date     = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1971|7|8}}
| birth_place    = [[Church Village]], Wales
| height         = 1.78 m
| weight         = {{convert|86|kg|st lb}}
| school         = [[Bryn Celynnog Comprehensive School]]
| university     =
| spouse         = 
| ru_position    = [[Fly-half (rugby union)|Fly-half]], [[Rugby union positions#Full-back|Full back]]
| ru_currentteam = 
| amatyears1     = 
| amatteam1      = 
| ru_amupdate    = 
| years1         = 1990–99, 2002–03
| years2         = 1999–02
| years3         = 2003–04
| clubs1         = [[Pontypridd RFC|Pontypridd]]
| clubs2         = [[Cardiff RFC|Cardiff]]
| clubs3         = [[Celtic Warriors]]
| apps1          = 237
| apps2          = 45
| apps3          = 26
| points1        = 3,185
| points2        = 655
| points3        = 299
| ru_clubupdate  = 
| repyears1      = 1991–1992
| repyears2      = 1991–2002
| repyears3      = [[1997 British Lions tour to South Africa|1997]], [[2001 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia|2001]]
| repteam1       = [[Wales national under-20 rugby union team|Wales U21]]
| repteam2       = [[Wales national rugby union team|Wales]]
| repteam3       = [[British & Irish Lions]]
| repcaps1       = 1
| repcaps2       = 87
| repcaps3       = 4
| reppoints1     = 10
| reppoints2     = 1049
| reppoints3     = 41
| ru_ntupdate    = 
| coachyears1    = 2004–
| coachyears2    = [[2009 British Lions tour to South Africa|2009]], [[2013 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia|2013]], 
| coachyears3    = [[2017 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand|2017]], [[2021 British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa|2021]]
| coachteams1    = [[Wales]]
| coachteams2    = [[British & Irish Lions]] 
}}

'''Neil Jenkins''', {{post-nominals|country=GBR|MBE}} (born 8 July 1971) is a Welsh former [[rugby union]] player and current coach. He played [[fly half|fly-half]], [[centre (rugby union)|centre]], or [[fullback (rugby union)|full back]] for [[Pontypridd RFC|Pontypridd]], [[Cardiff RFC|Cardiff]], [[Celtic Warriors]], [[Wales national rugby union team|Wales]] and the [[British & Irish Lions]]. Jenkins is Wales' highest ever points-scorer and is the fifth highest on the [[List of leading rugby union test point scorers]]. He was the first player to score 1,000 points in international matches.

In 2004 Jenkins joined the coaching staff of the [[Wales national rugby union team]] and was the kicking skills coach.

==Early life==
Jenkins was born in [[Church Village]] near [[Pontypridd]],<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/southeast/halloffame/sport/neil_jenkins.shtml BBC Wales Hall of Fame] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080329033813/http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/southeast/halloffame/sport/neil_jenkins.shtml |date=29 March 2008 }}</ref> Wales to a scrap dealer and his wife. He attended [[Llanilltud Faerdref]] primary school and then [[Bryn Celynnog Comprehensive School]] in [[Beddau]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Neil Jenkins |url=http://en.espn.co.uk/timeline/rugby/player/10951.html |website=ESPN Scrum |access-date=11 August 2019 |archive-date=11 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190811235217/http://en.espn.co.uk/timeline/rugby/player/10951.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Golden swimmer with a will to win |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_east/7612524.stm |access-date=12 August 2019 |work=BBC News |date=14 September 2008}}</ref>

==Career==
Jenkins joined Pontypridd in 1990, making his First XV debut on 14 April.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ponty.net/jenkins-neil |title=Neil Jenkins playing profile |publisher=Pontypridd RFC |date=14 April 1990 |access-date=2013-06-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131001000311/http://www.ponty.net/jenkins-neil |archive-date=1 October 2013  }}</ref>

He made his Wales debut aged 19 on 19 January 1991 against England during the [[Five Nations Championship]] in Cardiff, a game that Wales lost 25–6,<ref name="Sporting Heroes">{{cite web|url=http://www.sporting-heroes.net/rugby-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=3956 |title=Rugby photographic encyclopedia & rugby union player/hero images|publisher=Sporting-heroes.net |access-date=2013-06-17}}</ref> but Jenkins scored his first three points thanks to a penalty.  After the Five Nations campaign, Jenkins missed out on a place in the Welsh World Cup squad – the number ten position having been taken up by [[Mark Ring]].<ref name="Sporting Heroes"/>

Jenkins' main strength was his kicking, although he was deceptively quick in his early career.{{citation needed|date=September 2013}} Despite this, he still received tremendous criticism and many felt that he was not worthy enough to inherit the Welsh number 10 shirt of [[Barry John]], [[Phil Bennett]] and [[Cliff Morgan]], leading Jenkins to tailor his game to the demands of the modern game. He developed his tackling, passing and running skills, especially under the coaching of [[Graham Henry]], and became an excellent distributor of the ball, notably his excellent flat passes. He was also a strong runner.{{citation needed|date=September 2013}}  In November 1993 he managed an international record eight successful penalty kicks at goal in Wales's 24–26 defeat to Canada.<ref>{{Cite web|date=23 October 2011|title=Rugby Union: Canadians' club batters Welsh into submission|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby-union-canadians-club-batters-welsh-into-submission-1503624.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220618/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby-union-canadians-club-batters-welsh-into-submission-1503624.html |archive-date=18 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=The Independent|language=en}}</ref> At the age of just 23, he passed Paul Thorburn to become Wales's record Test point scorer in a 29–19 win against Italy, in which he also equalled the record of 24 points in a game he had set against Canada.<ref>{{Cite web|date=23 October 2011|title=Rugby Union: Wales take the high ground: Jenkins finds the target to|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby-union-wales-take-the-high-ground-jenkins-finds-the-target-to-sweep-past-points-record-1442720.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220618/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby-union-wales-take-the-high-ground-jenkins-finds-the-target-to-sweep-past-points-record-1442720.html |archive-date=18 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=The Independent|language=en}}</ref>

Jenkins went on the [[1997 British Lions tour to South Africa]], playing full back in all three tests. His accurate goalkicking enabled the Lions to beat the Springboks during the first two tests,{{citation needed|date=September 2013}} and thus secure the series 2–1. Across all three Tests he managed 41 points, beating Gavin Hastings's previous record of 38.<ref>{{Cite web|date=23 October 2011|title=Lions told to spread the word|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/lions-told-to-spread-the-word-1249671.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220618/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/lions-told-to-spread-the-word-1249671.html |archive-date=18 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=The Independent|language=en}}</ref>

In the final match of the [[1999 Five Nations Championship]], Jenkins kicked a conversion in the dying moments of the game to beat England 32–31 at Wembley to deny their English counterparts the title, as Scotland won on points difference, with Wales finishing third. Later that year he also equalled the international record by converting nine penalties in a World Cup warm-up game against France.<ref>{{Cite web|date=23 October 2011|title=Rugby Union: Jenkins flourish finishes France|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby-union-jenkins-flourish-finishes-france-1118164.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220618/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby-union-jenkins-flourish-finishes-france-1118164.html |archive-date=18 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=The Independent|language=en}}</ref>

In October 2000, Jenkins was made an [[Order of the British Empire|MBE]] for services to sport. He picked up the MBE from [[Buckingham Palace]] before being flown back to the Welsh capital by helicopter for a rugby match in which he scored all 24 points for [[Cardiff RFC|Cardiff]] in their 24–14 win over [[Saracens F.C.|Saracens]].

In 2001, Jenkins became the first ever rugby player to break the 1,000 international points mark, with a 28-point haul featuring a ''Full House'' of a try, conversion, drop-goal, and penalty against France in Paris.<ref>{{cite news|last=Palmer |first=Bryn |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/international/3019789.stm |title=The Ginger Monster bows out |work=BBC News |date=12 May 2003 |access-date=2013-06-17}}</ref>

Jenkins went on the [[2001 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia]], but was carrying an injury, allowing English fly-half [[Jonny Wilkinson]] to become the preferred fly-half and goalkicker. However, Jenkins did gain his fourth Lions cap as a late replacement in the second test.

Kicking always remained his major strength – in the [[2003-04 Celtic League]], he was successful with a [[world record]] 44 consecutive kicks at goal for the now defunct [[Celtic Warriors]].

His final match for Wales was on 1 November 2002 in Wrexham against Romania, with Wales winning 40–3.<ref name="Sporting Heroes"/> Jenkins was left out of Wales' [[2003 Rugby World Cup]] squad, and subsequently announced his retirement from international rugby after an 11-year career.

During his 87 caps for Wales he scored 1,049 points (11 tries, 130 conversions, 235 penalties and 10 drop goals) and a further 41 points (1 conversion and 13 penalties) during his four caps for the [[British & Irish Lions]] for a grand total of 1,090 points. He retired as the only player to score over 1,000 points in international rugby.{{citation needed|date=September 2013}} Jenkins' world record was subsequently broken by Jonny Wilkinson.

Despite the early public criticism, Jenkins has established himself as one of the most recognisable figures in Welsh rugby and many rugby fans hold him in extremely high regard.{{citation needed|date=September 2013}} Although he is no longer the leading points scorer in Test history, he is still considered to be one of the most accomplished goalkickers in rugby.{{citation needed|date=September 2013}}

==Coaching career==

In the autumn of 2004 Jenkins returned to the [[Welsh Rugby Union]] in the capacity of Kicking Skills Coach, working with the then newly formed WRU Academies to improve the future generations of outside halves. In the summer of 2006, he returned to the National Squad set up as Skills Coach where he first worked for [[Gareth Jenkins]] during the [[2007 Rugby World Cup]] campaign and subsequently [[Warren Gatland]]'s new-look management team.

During the 2007–2008 season, Jenkins helped the Welsh national team to a second [[Six Nations Championship|Six Nations]] [[Grand Slam (rugby union)|Grand Slam]] in four years.

===British and Irish Lions===
On 8 June 2009, Jenkins was appointed as the [[British and Irish Lions]]' specialist kicking coach for their tour of South Africa.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lionsrugby.com/news/7992.php |title=News &#124; British & Irish Lions &#124;Official Website: Woodward to note Welsh achievement |publisher=Lionsrugby.com |date=22 March 2005 |access-date=2013-06-17}}</ref>

He was then reappointed as a coach for the Lions for their 2013 Tour to Australia alongside [[Graham Rowntree]] and head coach Warren Gatland. He was subsequently named in the coaching team for the 2017 and 2021 tours, again alongside Gatland on both, and Rowntree in 2017.

==Off the Field==

In 1999, Jenkins published his autobiography:  ''Life at number 10: An Autobiography''<ref name=autobiography>Neil Jenkins, Paul Rees – Life at number 10: An Autobiography, published by Mainstream Publishing, 1998, {{ISBN|1-84018-245-8}}</ref> with freelance journalist [[Paul Rees]] just a matter of weeks before breaking the International points scoring record.  The book was republished in 2001 by Mainstream Publishing.

Also, on 10 November 2003 a DVD was released as a tribute, called ''Jenks – A Rugby Legend'', the DVD tells the story of Jenkins from his start as a working class boy in the Welsh Valleys to the pinnacle of rugby.

In honour of Jenkins' Testimonial career, the famous [[Grogg]] Shop in Pontypridd made a "Limited Edition Testimonial Action" Grogg of Jenkins.  Wanting to make something special for the occasion, the Grogg was the first ever to stand on just one leg and took over 6 months to create.  Only 100 were made, all of which were hand-painted in a variety of rugby kits – only three of which were in the Lions jersey, one owned by Jenkins, one by his mother and the other by Mike Donald of Ebbw Vale who bought the Grogg at an auction for £4,100.<ref>[http://www.groggs.co.uk/feature_product] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090221095321/http://www.groggs.co.uk/feature_product|date=21 February 2009}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of leading rugby union test point scorers]]
* [[List of rugby union test caps leaders]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*{{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080720110823/http://www.wru.co.uk/2634_9535.php |date=dmy |title=Wales profile }}
*{{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131001000311/http://www.ponty.net/jenkins-neil |date=dmy |title=Pontypridd profile }}
*[http://www.sporting-heroes.net/rugby-heroes/searchresults.asp?linkDescription=+matching+search+results&RugbyHeroName=Neil+Jenkins&RugbyHeroCountry=&RugbyHeroDecade=Select+One&SearchButton=Search sporting heroes]
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/celtic/2062513.stm Jenkins seals Ponty return]
*{{ESPNscrum}}

{{Wales 1995 Rugby World Cup squad}}
{{Wales 1999 Rugby World Cup squad}}
{{British and Irish Lions 1997}}
{{British and Irish Lions 2001}}
{{British and Irish Lions 2013}}
{{British and Irish Lions 2017}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jenkins, Neil}}
[[Category:1971 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:British & Irish Lions rugby union players from Wales]]
[[Category:Cardiff RFC players]]
[[Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Pontypridd RFC players]]
[[Category:Rugby union centres]]
[[Category:Rugby union fly-halves]]
[[Category:Rugby union fullbacks]]
[[Category:Rugby union players from Church Village]]
[[Category:Wales international rugby union players]]
[[Category:Welsh rugby union coaches]]
[[Category:Welsh rugby union players]]
[[Category:1995 Rugby World Cup players]]
[[Category:1999 Rugby World Cup players]]