I am not ashamed - rugby player and coach Clive Jones on how Jesus changed his life

Rugby has been a big part of Clive’s life. He has spent most of his time as a PE teacher or playing and coaching rugby. “As a student at Loughborough I was fascinated by the psychology of sport. My philosophy was that you could achieve anything provided you had the strength of mind to stick at it. There was no place for humility or any Christian values. In fact I was an atheist and loved nothing more than to rip into people who believed that kind of rubbish.”

Working with a fellow PE teacher who was Christian challenged Clive, as did his brother Chris’s dramatic conversion. “Not at first, though! When he told me about Jesus and the difference it made in his life, I used to tear a strip off him. Then one night in bed, I saw a really bright light and had a great feeling of peace. I felt God said to me, ‘You cannot achieve that on your own. All your reading and learning, all your striving, will never give you peace. Only I can give you peace.’ I knew I had to step out of head knowledge and take a step of faith.”

Jesus never said it would be easy to be a Christian. The competitive environment of professional rugby can be a tough place to take your stand. “Last season we had such a lot of Sunday games and I always miss being in my church when I am away. Sometimes it is hard to keep your integrity, and not to compromise." Easy or not, it is great to have someone like Clive as a witness in one of the top clubs in Wales.

Clive Jones is Director of Rugby at Pontypridd and a coach at the Christians in Sport Sports Plus camps

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