Aviva Premiership
Stephen Jones to hang up boots
ESPN Staff
February 28, 2013
Wasps' Stephen Jones goes for the posts, Wasps v London Irish, Aviva Premiership, Adams Park, London, September 15, 2012
Stephen Jones will hang up his boots at the end of the current campaign © Getty Images
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Players/Officials: Stephen Jones
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Teams: England | Wales

Former Wales fly-half Stephen Jones has announced that he will retire at the end of the season and will take up a role within Wasps' coaching team.

Jones joined Wasps at the beginning of the season and has made 11 appearances for them this term but he has decided that the time is right to call time on his career. The announcement sees the fly-half bring down the curtain on a career that saw him win a record 104 caps for Wales and also play for the British & Irish Lions on two tours - 2005 and 2009.

His impressive haul for on the Test stage saw him score 970 points in his 110 Tests - including six appearances for the Lions - and he has also turned out in four World Cups for the national side. His 104 caps are four more than Gareth Thomas and Martyn Williams won with the pair second on the all-time appearance list for Wales.

Prior to his time with Wasps, Jones made 312 appearances for the Scarlets and scored 2791 points for the region. He also played two seasons in France for Clermont Auvergne between 2004 and 2006.

Jones will now take up a role within the Wasps set-up and will work under Dai Young. Jones said of his decision to retire: "I feel incredibly lucky to have played for some fantastic sides down through the years and I feel the time is right for me now to make the transition into coaching, which is what I have always wanted to do.

"There is an opportunity for me to do that at London Wasps and I am very excited about the next step of my career. I want to say a huge thanks to everyone at the Scarlets, Clermont Auvergne and London Wasps - and I feel grateful to have worn three fantastic professional club shirts in my career.

"I also feel honoured to have pulled on the Wales and British and Irish Lions shirts and I appreciate everyone involved in those sides as well as the supporters who have been there and backed me throughout my playing days. I am taking with me some incredible memories and experiences."

Wasps coach Young paid tribute to the fly-half saying: "I always thought Stephen would make an excellent coach and everything I have seen of him this season backs that up. It is sad to see him retire but what we are losing on the field we are gaining off it.

"I have always admired Stephen's tactical nous and I think he will be an excellent member of our coaching team. In the meantime we have some massive games coming up and Stephen is going to play a big part as a player in the coming months."

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