Wales Captain Alun Wyn Jones Crowned 2019 Guinness Six Nations Player of the Championship
Welsh second-row, Alun Wyn Jones, has been unveiled as the 2019 GUINNESS SIX NATIONS Player of the Championship. Jones captained his side to victory, beating out all opposition in this year’s Championship and securing Wales’s first Grand Slam since 2012.
Wales’s 2019 GUINNESS SIX NATIONS commenced with a resolute comeback win versus France in the Championship opener in Paris. The side continued with a series of dominant performances throughout the Championship, winning against Italy, England and Scotland, and finally against the title holders Ireland at Principality Stadium to cap off an impressive Grand Slam Championship.
Ahead of going to a public vote, a shortlist of six potential players of the Championship, four Welsh and two English, were chosen by an expert panel of distinguished rugby writers and broadcasters from across the six participating countries:
- Alun Wyn Jones (Wales)
- Hadleigh Parkes (Wales)
- Josh Adams (Wales)
- Liam Williams (Wales)
- Jonny May (England)
- Tom Curry (England)
To celebrate GUINNESS’s first year as Title Sponsor of the GUINNESS SIX NATIONS, in a six-year deal, they have created a brand new bespoke GUINNESS SIX NATIONS Player of the Championship Trophy with one of Ireland’s leading bronze sculptors, Jarlath Daly.
Jarlath Daly, Irish Bronze Sculptor, said “This is a hugely proud moment for me. The GUINNESS brand evokes heritage, and it was an absolute honour to create this trophy that will be handed to the top performing rugby player in this year’s GUINNESS SIX NATIONS tournament.”
On receiving the GUINNESS SIX NATIONS Player of the Championship award Jones said, “I’m very flattered to be named the GUINNESS SIX NATIONS Player of the Championship. For me as the captain, it’s a validation of what we’ve done as a squad throughout the campaign. To be up there as a nominee with three other Welsh players and two outstanding players from England would have been more than enough and I’m very grateful to the people who have taken the time to vote.”
Rory Sheridan, Head of Partnerships at Diageo, “This year’s GUINNESS SIX NATIONS Championship has provided fans with so many memories that will last them a lifetime. Through our activations, we have highlighted how rugby has the extraordinary capacity to unite both on and off the pitch. On behalf of the GUINNESS team, we would like to congratulate Alun Wyn Jones on being awarded the GUINNESS SIX NATIONS Player of the Championship and Wales on their Grand Slam victory.”
The team behind GUINNESS also used the platform of the 2019 GUINNESS SIX NATIONS to promote its new global responsible drinking campaign, GUINNESS Clear, encouraging moderation amongst the millions of adult fans watching and enjoying the Championship.
In addition to being Title Sponsor, Official Beer and Official Responsible Drinking Partner of the GUINNESS SIX NATIONS, GUINNESS is also a Proud Partner of the Women’s Six Nations Championship and of each of the Home Nations’ teams.
Sometimes less is more, drink Guinness Sensibly. Visit www.drinkaware.ie