One of the most gifted rugby players to emerge from the lower Teifi Valley for several decades Newcastle Emlyn player/coach Emyr Jones has decided to hang up his boots.

The 35-year-old who is equally at home at scrum-half or centre started his playing career with home-town club Emlyn as an abrasive base of the scrum operator.

After three seasons with the Red and Whites he had a season with the Scarlets before joining Carmarthen Quins where he gave ten years service and was recently voted the best-scrum half in the Quins dream team.

From the Quins he went to Felinfoel as a player/coach and won promotion to Division One before returning to his roots with Emlyn and gained promotion when the Teifisiders went up to Division Two West.

Although continuing in charge of the club’s Under 8’s Jones, who is a station liaison officer with the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service based in Aberystwyth, cannot find time for training and coaching and has decided to call it a day.

Reflecting on an illustrious career the affable Jones said “I have enjoyed every minute of my involvement in rugby and would gladly do it all over again tomorrow.

“I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who has supported me over the years,” he said.