Joe Jenkins: Brisbane to Swansea

An invitation to train with Ospreys in November 2016 materialised thanks to WRU Exiles programme manager Gareth Davies, and the following February the 21-year-old was back in Wales on a four-month trial period.  
 
“I was splitting my time between Ospreys and Wales Sevens, and was fortunate enough to get sevens game time during the Rugby Europe tournaments over the summer,” explains Jenkins, who would train with Gareth Williams’s team between World Rugby Sevens Series weekends.
 
A player-of-the-tournament performance for the national development side in Centrale 7s in Paris was Jenkins’s breakthrough, and he was soon called up for his first cap at the World Series in London.
 
“It was a bit surreal, but I absolutely loved it,” says Jenkins, laughing at the memory. “All this had happened in the space of four months, when I didn’t really know if I’d be staying in the country past July. I’d been in Brisbane watching the boys playing in the Sydney 7s on TV, then there I was in London playing alongside them a few months later.”
 
Brisbane born and bred, Jenkins qualifies for Wales through his father who hails from the Swansea area. Head coach Williams insists that his team is fully aware of Welsh history and culture – this has included visits to Big Pit and St Fagan’s during pre-season [watch the video here] – and in Jenkins he has found a willing student.  
 
“Although my dad is from Wales, I didn’t really know as much Welsh history as I would have liked,” he admits. “It means that I’ve jumped at the chance to retrace my ancestry. My grandma’s from Rhossili and my grandfather’s from Burry Port, so learning about my heritage has been a very enjoyable experience.”
 
In another sense, his studies have been put on hold for the moment: he is yet to complete the third year of his BSc (majoring in Biomedical Science, no less) from the University of Queensland. “I’ve still got two subjects left, so my third year’s been going on for a while!” he says. “I’ll hopefully complete it via correspondence next semester.”
 
His years at UQ Rugby helped shape him as a player, as well as a student. “The club won the Queensland Premiership last year, and while it’s big with students, it’s not exclusively for university goers. A lot of my mates played there coming through the U19 Colts programme, and I got the chance to play senior rugby for two years with them, which was a great experience.”
 
If going it alone in a new country is a bold move, Jenkins already has form in this, having spent a semester of study and rugby at the University of Massachusetts. In that single season, the fly-half/centre was the league’s highest points scorer. A local sports reporter described him as having an “overwhelming impact” on UMass’s good fortunes.
 
While the colder climate of New England prepared him for his move to Swansea (where he currently lives with fellow Osprey and Wales Sevens teammate Tom Williams), Jenkins has looked comfortable in the more familiar climates of Dubai and Cape Town this year. “The crowds are pretty special on the World Series,” he says. “The players are treated like celebrities in the stadiums, signing autographs and so on.
 
“As a team we try and stick together on and off the field. The senior boys who’ve been there for a couple of years have created a great environment for the new guys coming in, and they make us feel at home straight away. They’re always there for us, especially when we’re away for a couple of weeks. We’re a very close-knit group.”
 
In keeping with the sense of family within the squad, Jenkins says he didn’t get too much grief from teammates when it was revealed he’s that rare thing in rugby: a vegetarian. “The boys have been pretty accepting! In a rugby culture, it’s not something you tell everyone on your first day of training. Our team manager, Sara Davies, has been looking after me in that regard since day one, and the food at the Vale and on tour is class.”
 
It’s early days for Jenkins as a Wales Sevens player, but you wouldn’t blame him for having one eye on the upcoming Commonwealth Games. After all, the Robina Stadium, where the sevens will be played, is only 40 minutes away from his family home on the Gold Coast. “I’m looking forward to pushing my case for selection,” says Jenkins. “The fact that it’s back home makes it all the more special. Pretty much my whole family were in a queue for tickets.
 
“Mum got the whole extended family involved and ended up with about 30 tickets. I think it sold out within first two hours or so. I’ll have family coming from Tasmania and Sydney. Even if I’m not selected, they’re definitely keen to be supporting Wales and they’ll be there.”
 
Wales Sevens will be competing in the Sydney leg of the World Rugby Sevens Series on 26-28 January 2018.