SCARLETS and Wales rugby union player Jonathan Davies has been named the 2017 BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year.
The centre, who was the player of the series in the British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand in June, won the vote at the Wales Sports Awards in Newport on Monday (Dec 4).
Davies (29) was one of the top performers in rugby union for both club and country in 2017.
His successful year began with the 2017 Six Nations, scoring a try to help Wales defeat Italy, also impressing in the following games despite Wales finishing 5th.
For club, Davies’ regional side the Scarlets had a superb 2017 in the Pro12. Defeating Leinster in the semi-final and going on to championship glory by blowing away Munster 46-22 in the final in Dublin.
Davies scored one of the six tries in the final, held in the Aviva Stadium in May.
Davies, in top form was selected for the Lions squad to tour New Zealand and played full games in each of the three tests.
However, Davies will be out of action for most of the 2017/18 season, due to a foot injury in Wales’ defeat to Australia in November.
Known to many as ‘Foxy’, he is one of Bancyfelin’s most famous sons, Delme Thomas, Mike Phillips and Ira Jones being the others. Davies is a former pupil of Ysgol Dyffryn Taf in Whitland. He still has close links with the school and Whitland Cricket Club.
Davies beat football star Gareth Bale, cyclist Elinor Barker, para-athlete Aled Sion Davies, judoka Natalie Powell and cyclist Geraint Thomas to claim the main award.
Jonathan was not present at the awards ceremony. His mother Julie and father Mike accepted the award on his behalf.
He posted on Twitter: “Thank you to everyone who voted. Honoured to receive Wales sports personality of the year. Apologies I couldn’t make it the plaster didn’t fit in the DJ trousers. Proud to see #MikeFox and Julie receiving it on my behalf.”
