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Jonah Lomu's former manager Phil Kingsley Jones passes away
Phil Kingsley Jones, the former manager of Jonah Lomu and the man famously credited with keeping the late All Blacks great from leaving rugby for league, has passed away. A family member of the 72-year-old Welshman had recently confirmed to the New Zealand Herald that he had been “recovering at home” after falling five months ago.
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Jones was Lomu’s manager for ten years until 2004 when the former All Black’s wife Fiona took over his management. Without him, Lomu might have played out his career in the Australian league.
Welsh-born Jones had come to New Zealand in 1983, driving a truck during the week, propping a rugby scrum for Mt Wellington on Saturday afternoons, and working as a stand-up comedian on Saturday nights.
At the height of his show business success in the 1990s he sold out shows when on stage with former All Black Stu Wilson, and the duo published five big-selling books.
Jones started working with the Counties Manukau Rugby Union in 1989 and first crossed paths with Lomu when the already massive South Auckland teenager was at Wesley College.
Among many other great qualities, Phil Kingsley Jones always made you feel like you were the best thing to happen to him that day. Even if for a moment, before he made the next person feel the same way. Also had an endless supply of truly blue jokes. RIP Champion.
— Scotty Stevenson (@sumostevenson) September 16, 2020
In 1994, a year before rugby went professional, Lomu was offered a $300,000 a year deal to play league for the Canterbury Bulldogs in Sydney. Dropped by the All Blacks after two Tests against France in 1994 and disillusioned with rugby, Lomu decided to sign with the Bulldogs, asking Kingsley-Jones to draw up a formal contract to manage him.
At the time Jones said he would manage Lomu, but on one crucial condition – he had to stick with rugby and when he wins back his place in the All Blacks, he must give Jones the jersey he wears. And so it was that Jones would receive a 1995 World Cup jersey from Lomu – and Lomu would be the key to a US$555million television contract for southern hemisphere rugby.
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Jones worked at Counties Manukau Rugby for 15 years over two periods from 1989–1996 and 2009-2017. In that time, he served as the club’s coaching co-ordinator, coaching director, coach of the development team, coach of junior representative teams, sponsorship and business development manager.
He was made a lifetime ambassador for the union, and the lounge at the Steelers’ home ground, Navigation Homes Stadium in Pukekohe, was named after him. He also coached the Tongan national team, taking them on two tours to South Africa and the United Kingdom, which helped them qualify for the 1999 World Cup.
Former Steelers and Maori captain Errol Brain who knew Jones closely said: “This is a truly sad day for Counties Manukau and rugby.
“Phil would be one of the only people who could walk into any rugby club in the world and know someone who would want to buy him a beer. His larger than life personality, sharp brain and ability to think outside the square was a great gift.
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“What he did for Jonah Lomu was ground-breaking. He was the pioneer who turned Jonah into rugby’s first global superstar all while keeping him grounded and connected to what was important, which was our region. Such was the impact that many of the young ones coming through today still look up to him and are aware of Jonah’s legacy.”
– New Zealand Herald
It's been less than a fortnight since Ian Foster named his first #AllBlacks squad, but New Zealand's head coach is already planning on adding a further 10 to 11 players to his 35-man side for the #RugbyChampionship.https://t.co/erh0OiZ2mR
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 16, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
Really hope Kuruvoli and his partner rock the Canes.
1 Go to commentsI wonder what impact Samson has had on their attack, as the team seems less prone to trundle it up the middle, take the tackle and then trundle it up again. I lost faith in the coach last year as the Rebelss looked like a 2nd/3rd rate South African team. I also disliked Gordon standing back, often ignored as the forward battle went on and on. Maybe its our Aussie way of not getting off our A***’s until the enemy is at the gate.
83 Go to commentsThanks for the write up. Great to see the Rebs winning, I am a little interested in how they will go against the remaining kiwi teams, I think they’ve only played Hurricanes and Highlanders but how great to see these players performing!! I also see Parling has a job beyond June 30! A good move by RA? Also how do you fix the Rebels previously scratchy defence?
83 Go to commentsbe smart - go black
13 Go to commentsNext week the Crusaders hopefully have Scott Barrett back. Will be great to have the captain back. Hopefully he will be the All Black captain as well.
12 Go to commentsExciting place to be for the young fella. I expected he was French Polynesian when I saw him included in the France 6N squad (after seeing him in NZs), and therefor be strong grounds we might loose him to rugby down here. Good, in that he is good enough to warrant such a profile, and from a journalism’s fan interaction aspect, to finally get a back ground story on the fella. Hope he has settled into NZ OK and that at least one rugby country will fit with him to help his development, which, if so, he should surely continue for a few years, and then that he can experience France to it’s fullest with a bit more maturity and less reliance on family than you would have at his current age. A good 3 or 4 years before he would be ready for International duty if he wanted to wait. Of course he already sounds good enough to accept a call up, and to cap himself, in the more immediate future (he’d have to be very very good in the case of the ABs), and he’ll get a great taste of that being with the Canes who have a bunch who are just a few years further into their career and looking likely Internationals themselves.
13 Go to commentsI remember towards the end of the original broadcasting deal for Super rugby with Newscorp that there was talk about the competition expanding to improve negotiations for more money - more content, more cash. Professional rugby was still in its infancy then and I held an opposing view that if Super rugby was a truly valuable competition then it should attract more broadcasters to bid for the rights, thereby increasing the value without needing to add more teams and games. Unfortunately since the game turned professional, the tension between club, talent and country has only grown further. I would argue we’re already at a point in time where the present is the future. The only international competitions that matter are 6N, RC and RWC. The inter-hemisphere tours are only developmental for those competitions. The games that increasingly matter more to fans, sponsors and broadcasters are between the clubs. Particularly for European fans, there are multiple competitions to follow your teams fortunes every week. SA is not Europe but competes in a single continental competition, so the travel component will always be an impediment. It was worse in the bloated days of Super rugby when teams traversed between four continents - Africa, America, Asia and Australia. The percentage of players who represent their country is less than 5% of the professional player base, so the sense of sacrifice isn’t as strong a motivation for the rest who are more focused on playing professional rugby and earning as much from their body as they can. Rugby like cricket created the conundrum it’s constantly fighting a losing battle with.
4 Go to commentsOh wow… “But as La Rochelle proved in winning in Cape Town this season, a cross-continental away assignment need not spell the end of days.” La Rochelle actually proved quite the opposite. After traveling to Cape town and back they (back-to-back and current champs) got mercilessly thumped the next week. If travel is not the reason, why else would a full-strength powerhouse like La Rochelle get dumped on their @r$e$ one week later?
26 Go to commentsYou know he can land a winning conversion after the full time siren is up. (Even if it takes two attempts.)
5 Go to commentsA very insightful article from Jake. I would love to know how South African’s feel about their move to Europe. Do you prefer playing in Europe or want to go back to Super Rugby?
4 Go to commentspure fire
1 Go to commentsA very well thought out summary of all the relevant complications…agree with your ”refer the Cricket Test versus 20/20 comparison”. More also definitely doesn't necessarily mean better!
4 Go to commentsMust be something when you are only 19 y.o and both NZ and France want you. Btw he wasn’t the only new caledonian in french U20 as Robin Couly also lived in Noumea until 17. Hope he’s successful wherever he chooses to play.
13 Go to comments“Several key players in the Stade Rochelais squad are in their thirties” South Africans are going to hate the implications of that comment!
5 Go to commentsI know Leinster did a job on La Roche but shortly after HT Leinster were 30-13 ahead of them and at a similar time Toulouse were trailing Exeter. At 60 mins Leinster were 27 ahead but after 67 mins Toulouse were only 19 ahead before Exeter collapsed. That’s heavier scoring by Leinster against the Champions. I think people are looking at Toulouses total a little too much. I also think Northhampton are in with a real chance, albeit I’d put Leinster as favourites. If Leinster make the final I expect them to win by more than ten and with control.
5 Go to commentsHey Nick, your match analysis is decent but the top and tail not so much, a bit more random. For a start there’s a seismic difference in regenerating any club side over a test team. EJ pretty much had to urinate with the appendage he’d been given at test level whereas club success is impacted hugely by the budget. Look no further than Boudjellal’s Toulon project for a perfect example. The set ups at La Rochelle and Leinster are like chalk and cheese and you are correct that Leinster are ahead. Leinster are not just slightly ahead though, they are light years ahead on their plans, with the next gen champions cup team already blooded, seasoned and developing at speed from their time manning the fort in the URC while the cream play CC and tests. They have engineered a strong talent conveyor belt into their system, supported by private money funnelled into a couple of Leinster private schools. The really smart move from Leinster and the IRFU however is maximising the Irish Revenue tax breaks (tax relief on the best 10 years earnings refunded at retirement) to help keep all of their stars in Ireland and happy, while simultaneously funding marquee players consistently. And of course Barrett is the latest example. But in no way is he a “replacement for Henshaw”, he’s only there for one season!!! As for Rob Baxter, the best advice you can give him is to start lobbying Parliament and HMRC for a similar state subsidy, but don’t hold your breath… One thing Cullen has been very smart with is his coaching team. Very quickly he realised his need to supplement his skills, there was talk of him exiting after his first couple of years but he was extremely shrewd bringing in Lancaster and now Nienaber. That has worked superbly and added a layer that really has made a tangible difference. Apart from that you were bang on the money… 😉😂
5 Go to commentsNot sure exactly what went wrong for him at Glasgow but it’s pretty clear he ain’t Franco’s cup of tea. Suspect he would have been better served heading out of Scotland around the same time as Finn, Hoggy and Jonny!
1 Go to commentsBulls disrespected the Northampton supporters and the competition. Decide quickly, fully in or out.
26 Go to commentsI wonder if Parling was ever on England’s radar as a coach? Obviously Borthwick is a great lineout coach, but I do worry he might be taking on too much as both head coach and forwards coach.
1 Go to commentsJason Jenkins has one cap. When Etzebeth was his age he had over 80 caps. Experience matters. He will never amount to what Etzebeth has because he hasn’t been developed as an international player.
2 Go to comments