Ross Darroch Jones (9 December 1917 – 30 May 1985) was a rugby league player who represented New Zealand. He played in both tour matches on the aborted 1939 tour of England, becoming the 273rd player to represent New Zealand. He was also a junior Auckland cycling champion in 1934, and represented Rodney in rugby union. His eldest son, Murray Jones was an All Black in 1973 against England.
Early life Ross Jones was born on 9 December 1917, in Auckland, New Zealand. His parents were Donald McLean Jones (1884–1950), and Ida Glenara Jones (1882–1955). Ross had two older brothers, Murray David Jones (1910–40), and Howard Donald Jones (1912–87). Ross lived at 2A Waterview Road, Stanley Bay, in the north shore suburb of Devonport in his youth. He was educated at Stanley Bay Public School (1923–32) and after leaving school he worked as a grocer boy at Farmers, Victoria Street in their Devonport Store as well as being a bike delivery boy in 1933. After this he spent time working for a steel firm building bridges on Quay Street, on the Auckland waterfront with his job being to hand rivet the bridges together. The first bridge he worked on was the Wairoa Bridge between Napier and Gisborne.
Sporting career School sport In 1929, at the age of 11 Jones came second in the boys Stanley Bay School championship (running) final. He was beaten by "V Scott", which was in fact Verdun Scott, a future North Shore Albions and New Zealand rugby league teammate of Jones. Scott also represented New Zealand at cricket. In June, 1929 in a school 'Model Yacht Club' competition, Jones came second in the Robinson Cup and first in the 'Stanley Bay Open'. On 1 March 1930, at the Stanley Bay school's annual sports day at the Stanley Bay Park, Jones came 2nd in the 100m heat and second in the final behind the same runner (A. Beasley).
Cycling 1933 Takapuna Amateur Cycling Club debut season Jones became a member of the Takapuna Amateur Cycling Club after leaving school and in early 1933 he began competing in their various club races which typically took place on Saturdays. The first event he raced in was in their junior 7.5 mile race on their Takapuna circuit around Lake Pupuke on 8 April. The events were handicapped and Jones won in a time of 33 minutes, 7 seconds. It was not the fastest time but due to the handicap start that he had of 2.5 minutes it allowed him to win. The Auckland Star wrote: "Ross Jones, who rode his first race, did so with all the assurance of a veteran. A strongly built youngster, he gives every indication of becoming a successful rider". On 22 April he finished second in 34:14 in the junior 11.5 mile race after having a 30-second handicap. Takapuna hosted the Lynndale Club on 13 May in their annual exchange. The junior riders completed three laps of their Lake Pupuke course. Jones was riding off scratch and came second, beaten by A.F. Johnson of the Lynndale club by "inches" in a time of 32:40. The Auckland Star commented that Jones "has the makings of a good rider". Then in an invitation race over 22.5 miles on the lake course Jones failed to place in a 51 rider field of juniors and seniors.
On 27 May Jones set a new junior lap record in the 2 lap (7.5 mile) race, beating the former record by 8 seconds with his time of 9:56 for the lap, and 20:17 for the full race. He finished 4th due to riding off scratch while other riders had handicap starts but his time was the fastest. In a combined junior and senior Takapuna club race over 22.5 miles for the King Cup, Jones failed to place despite a 6-minute handicap. A week later on 17 June he won the 11.25 mile lake course race. He was racing off scratch and finished first in a time of 32:03, just 2/5ths of a second ahead of O. McKee.
Jones next race was at the Papatoetoe Amateurs open invitation race on 24 June which went from Papatoetoe to Clevedon and back, a distance of 30 miles. There were 19 riders, with Jones coming first in a time of 94:50, though he started with a handicap of 16 minutes in the senior field. He finished 1 second ahead of R. Gibbs. Jones and Gibbs "set a good even pace, and rode strongly to the finish, Gibbs led out at the sprint, but Jones put in his claim and crossed the line a length to the good. Both the winner and the second man are junior riders and are to be congratulated for their effort". The Auckland Star said of Jones that he "is one of this [Takapuna] club's most promising riders, although a junior member. Ross is a tall, husky youngster with plenty of determination and a bulldog tenacity". Jones competed in the junior New Lynn club race over 6.25 miles on 15 July but didn't place, before racing a week later in a combined senior and junior race of 22.5 miles on the Takapuna course. He was racing off a 4:30 handicap. Jones and M. Laurie, both on the same handicap "did their first couple of laps in record junior time, being only a few second slower than that of the scratch man, and soon overhauled the limit men…". Jones went on to finish 4th, just outside the top 3. The Star said "R. Jones (junior) rides strongly and well, but needs more power in his sprint, as does M. Laurie".
Jones continued his strong rise with a win in the Takapuna junior race over 11.25 miles on 29 July. He raced off scratch and finished in a time of 32:52. It was commented that he "shows to great advantage in the shorter races, with McKee stronger on distance. They are, however, a good team, each getting full value from the other". On 12 August he came 3rd in the junior Tapakuna race over 15 miles but finished with the fastest time of 43:18. The following Saturday, Jones finished 3rd in the first of two senior races but registered the fastest time once more at 32:43 over their 11.5 mile course which was his fifth consecutive fastest time.
On 26 August the Takapuna club held a combined race of 26 miles via Albany and the lake for the Farmers Cup. Jones was racing off a 2:30 handicap. In early September, Jones competed in a 22-mile race at Takapuna before winning the junior race on 16 September in a walkover with no other junior riders competing. The Auckland Star wrote "in the junior championship race Ross Jones, the junior scratch man, had an easy victory, if a somewhat hollow one. Ross was, and is, undoubtedly the junior champion, and apparently his co-riders thought so, as not one started against him. This youngster has collected "time" for the greater part of the season, and is a fine type of rider. A six footer of husky build, his weight and stamina alone would make him a fairly tough opponent".
Jones penultimate race of the season was a 30-mile lake circuit race on 30 September. His final race was in the 18.5 mile race for the Onslow Wood Memorial Shield on 14 October. He had a 1:15 handicap but did not place. In November the club held their second annual meeting where they awarded the junior championship to Jones.
1934 Takapuna and Auckland Junior Champion The 1934 season began in February but the first mention of Jones was him getting a 2-minute handicap for their 3 March race over 18.5 miles on their Takapuna course. He rode the first lap in 9:58 and then decided to pull out. Jones rode again in the 22.5 mile race on 24 March but did not place before competing in the Takapuna club race over a Kauri Gully-Birkenhead road circuit. He finished second behind G. Lawrence but had the fastest time in 51:07:12. Jones, who had only recently turned 16 was competing against senior club riders. He was said to have "started out after the limit man right away, and rode strongly, to soon find himself in the position he coveted – the leading bunch – with G. Lawrence and P. Bowden. Coming into the straight on the last lap Jones looked a certainty, but G. Lawrence challenged strongly in the sprint, and with a bare half length to spare, gained the decision. The showing made by Jones in this event is the more creditable, in that he is still a junior, and although hardly in form yet, he apparently intends to make the seniors look to their laurels this season". He had a 2-minute handicap a week later over 22.5 miles but failed to finish. The Auckland Star said he and L. Dick "proved disappointing, both being dropped easily when the pace cracked on, and eventually" they withdrew. On 21 April Jones raced in the 22.5 mile lake circuit for the King Cup. He had a handicap of 2:30 and finished second in a time of 64:18.5. He then failed to place in the 23 mile race to Albany and back on 5 May, and on 12 May in a 30-mile lake circuit race he had to retire on the first lap with a puncture with the course said to be in "poor condition" in parts.
On 19 May Jones finished in the second group in sixth place in a 22.25 mile lake circuit and was said to have done "his best work in this race". The Takapuna club's next race was in the hillier Birkenhead suburb which was more challenging than their almost flat Takapuna lake circuit. It was over 17 miles but Jones had to pull out when he punctured. He had been riding "exceptionally well", and was said to have "had a run of bad luck since purchasing his new machine".
The Auckland Amateur Cycling Centre held the first of its open junior races on 2 June. The course was from Carrington Road in Point Chevalier to Henderson and back where the concrete ended. Jones was one of three riders riding off scratch. Jones finished outside the places but had the second fastest time out of 32 riders behind Charles T. Dwight who had a time of 45:22. Jones only just lost out to Dwight in a tight spring finish in overcast conditions with light showers falling. It was said that he "was unlucky to be defeated for time by such an extremely narrow margin", and that he "is not in form yet, but soon will be, and should be in the limelight in the near future". Then in an invitational race at Takapuna with Lynndale club riders, Jones posted the fastest time over 7.5 miles. The field numbered 17 with Jones’ time being 20:29, which was 23 seconds faster than H.W. Robertson. Despite this he finished outside the top 4 due to the handicaps granted to those riders. On 16 June Takapuna held an invitational event on their course with the Beach Haven Club. Jones was racing off scratch in the junior race of 7.5 miles but also raced in the senior race of 26 miles off a 2-minute handicap. He came second in the senior race, finishing just "half a wheel" behind G. Williams who was timed at 70:09. Jones finishing a mere fifth of a second further back. The following week on 23 June Jones was unfortunate in the 26 mile seated handicap and time race on the East Coast roads of the North Shore. He was "making great time" when his "chain and sprocket" broke. Despite this Jones was selected by the club to represent them in the upcoming Auckland Junior Championship race which would follow the Takapuna clubs 26 mile handicap race for the Hawes Cup. He raced off scratch in the junior race from Carrington Road to Te Atatū corner and back but failed to place. On 14 July he rode off scratch at the Lynndale club invitation race over 6.25 miles. He broke the junior lap record in the two lap race but finished two minutes behind the lead owing to a crash.