Rugby Hardman Was Banned for Life Twice and Carried Axe in His Kit Bag

One of the most intimidating players in the history of rugby union was banned from the sport on two separate occasions and even carried an axe around in case things kicked off.

In just a few hours, Ireland and France will kick off in the Stade de France for the opening match of the highly-anticipated 2026 Six Nations Championship.

As is always the case in rugby union, there's likely to be plenty of heated exchanges between players, with the stakes higher than ever as teams prepare for the Men's Rugby World Cup next year.

Throughout the history of the sport, there have been several players that have stood out as proper hardmen that you'd want to avoid on the pitch, including the likes of England's Martin Johnson and Irish legend Brian O’Driscoll.

But there's one player who stands out among the rest after he received two life bans during his spectacular career that has led to him being awarded an MBE.

Brain O'Driscoll is remembered as one of the hardest men in Irish rugby. (Image: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

Back in the 1980s, Welshman Chris Jones certainly wasn't afraid of getting into a fight on the rugby pitch, and he didn't care who it was with.

In 1982, during a chaotic Yuletide derby between Welsh clubs Treorchy and Treherbert, Jones lost his temper after his brother, Clive, had been stamped on and lashed out at both the culprit and the referee.

“I said I pushed [the referee], but he said I hit him,” Jones told The Times when recalling the incident.

Following the incident, Jones was handed the first of several bans he faced in his career, keeping him out for six months before his return in a Schweppes Cup tie on December 17, 1983.

But it didn't take long for Jones to once again find himself in trouble, as he was one of four players sent off during the game.

This time, his punishment was much more severe, as his club banned him for five years, while the union did so indefinitely.

Thankfully for Jones, he was able to successfully appeal the decision and the return to the pitch, only to be handed a second lifetime suspension three years later when he punched Mountain Ash player Tony Rees.

Reflecting on his career, Jones told Wales Online: "It does make me smile when I hear the old internationals from the 1960s and 70s talking about how tough some of the Test matches were back then.

“You hear people talking about the 1974 Lions tour of South Africa and the 99 call. Because it was on the international stage, it was seen as awful.

“But every single game was like that in the valleys back then. You’d have those kind of fights about 10 times in a match. Games were gladiatorial.

“I saw things and took part in things on a rugby field where you really would get arrested today.

"All you did was wait for the referee to turn his back and then boot, punch, stamp, gouge and whatever you wanted to. That was the way it was and every team had its hard men."

Craig Jones helped coach Wales international and British & Irish Lions player Tomos Williams. (Image: Ian Cook - CameraSport via Getty Images)

Following his second ban, Jones continued to wreak havoc both on and off the field as he moved into coaching.

In the early nineties, he decided to attend the Brecon Jazz Festival in search of a good time, with his trusty axe packed in his rugby kitbag in case something went down.

Of course, trouble quickly found him as he was arrested following a fight in a pub, wrongly accused of stabbing an undercover officer.

But as he sat in jail, Jones realised he needed to turn his life around and decided to devote the rest of his life to Christianity, and to helping coach the young rugby players of his valley: the Rhondda.

Jones has since dedicated over 30 years of his life to Rhondda Schools Rugby, with his dedication to the area recently recognised in the latest New Year Honours list, granting him the title of MBE.