Michael Niko Jones

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For other people named Michael Jones, see Michael Jones (disambiguation).

Michael Niko Jones (born April 8, 1965 in Auckland, New Zealand), is a former rugby union player and current coach. He has been named as one of the world's greatest players of all-time by The Times and also the 3rd greatest All Black of all-time after Colin Meads and Sean Fitzpatrick. His nickname was the Iceman because he played the game with such a cool but confident manner. However most of those he played with referred to him as Ice due to the high frequency of injuries and icepacks required by Michael during the season. John Hart, who first selected him for Auckland, has called him "almost the perfect rugby player."

Jones came to prominence initially as an openside flanker, making his international debut for New Zealand during the 1987 Rugby Union World Cup, after playing one test the previous year for Western Samoa, for whom he qualified through his parents. He had made his first-class debut in 1985 for his Auckland provincial side in the National Provincial Championship. During his 55-test career he scored 13 tries.

Jones has been credited with revolutionising the openside flanker position with his physical prowess, superior fitness, and uncanny instincts to be wherever the ball would be, as evidenced by his 13 international tries. He was the first person to score a try in each of the first two Rugby World Cups, in 1987 and 1991. Later in his career, lacking the speed which characterised his early career, he played predominantly as a blindside flanker or number eight. In 1998 he was dropped from the All Blacks at the age of 33.

His career was severely affected by injuries, notably two serious knee injuries and a broken jaw, so that although he was first choice whenever his physical condition allowed, he only played 55 full internationals during a period when New Zealand played almost 90 internationals. His number of appearances was also affected by his strong Christian beliefs, refusing to play on Sundays. Although he was selected for the 1987 and 1991 All Black World Cup squads, he was omitted from the 1995 squad because of his refusal to play on Sundays, which would have meant him being unavailable for the quarter-final and semi-final games.

Jones has been a positive role model, particularly for Pacific Islander youth in New Zealand, both during his career and since his retirement in 1998. A strong christian man who often refused to play on sundays to honour the Sabbath, it was once asked of him how can a christian man hit so hard (in tackles), in reply he quoted the biblical phrase 'it is better to give than receive'

On April 7, 2004 he was appointed national coach of Samoa, replacing New Zealander John Boe. He had previously served as Boe's assistant coach, culminating in the 2003 World Cup.

He was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame in 2003.