The former Wales and British and Irish Lions centre is holding a year of events to celebrate his rugby career and support the charity LATCH
Jonathan Davies, former Wales, British and Irish Lions and Scarlets centre, announces the next event in his Testimonial year calendar with a “Farewell Foxy” retirement lunch celebrating the 2013 six nations win at the ICC Wales in March.
Davies announced his retirement from professional rugby last October, having won 96 caps for Wales, and scoring 55 tries in 209 appearances for the Scarlets.
He was awarded a Testimonial year by the Scarlets which will compromise an array of special events across Cardiff, Llanelli, London and Dubai to honour the former centre’s remarkable rugby career.
The Testimonial year will also be supporting LATCH, Jonathan’s chosen charity, which is based at the Children’s Hospital of Wales and supports and helps children who are being treated at the oncology unit, and their families.
The Testimonial Year kicked off last June with a dinner at Parc y Scarlets in the Quinnell Lounge where a proportion of the proceeds from the event went to the Phil Bennett Foundation which helps disadvantaged, disabled or underprivileged individuals to participate in sport. Then a celebratory dinner was held at The Londoner in Leicester Square which included a silent auction with prizes such as Jonathan Davies’ match worn Grand Slam jersey from the 2019 Six Nations, and his test shirt worn in the final match of the 2013 Lions tour against Australia.
As well as the above events, an official Jonathan ‘Fox’ Davies retirement lunch will be held at the ICC Wales Celtic Manor on Friday 14th March 2025. This will be an afternoon celebrating Jonathan’s outstanding career, in which he earned over 100 test caps for Wales and the British and Irish Lions. As part of the many celebrations taking place on the day, Jonathan will be joined by his teammates, George North, Jamie Roberts, and Sam Warburton, from the 2013 Six Nations winning squad, for a very special Q&A panel.
Jonathan said: “It has been an honour to represent my country and club over the last 18 years and the memories I have experienced in this time will stay with me forever. Having the support of my friends, family, and fans over the years has been incredible and something I will always be extremely grateful for. These Testimonial year events are a wonderful opportunity to celebrate with as many of these people as possible.
“I am so proud that my Testimonial year is raising money for such a fantastic cause, the LATCH Charity – a charity close to my heart. The staff at the hospital work so hard and the dedication they provide to the children in their care is second to none. The charity is most well-known for its on-site family accommodation at the University Hospital of Wales and the money raised will go towards keeping families together during a child’s stay at the hospital.”
Fundraising and Communications Manager of the LATCH charity, Kelly Jordan, said: “We are thrilled that Jonathan has chosen to support us during his Testimonial year, he is a Welsh great.
“LATCH Welsh Children’s Cancer Charity supports children & families going through cancer or leukaemia. We support families in numerous ways including social work support, on-site accommodation, financial grants, ward entertainment & holidays, as well as funding children’s childhood cancer research. LATCH relies heavily on fundraising and donations to reach our annual £800k objective, therefore we are extremely grateful that Jonathan has chosen us to receive proceeds from his testimonial year.”
Jonathan Davies’ rugby career spans 18 years and he has accumulated over 200 appearances for the Scarlets. Jonathan also had a stint with French side Clermont Auvergne before returning to his boyhood club, where he concluded his career in May 2024.
Jonathan’s Wales career began in 2009 where he gained 96 test caps for Wales, winning three Grand Slams and two Six Nations titles during this time. He also made twelve appearances for the British and Irish Lions during their 2013 tour of Australia and their visit to New Zealand in 2017, where he was voted player of the series. He also represented Wales in the 2011 and 2019 Rugby World Cup and won the 2017 BBC Cymru Wales Sports Personality of the Year.
After announcing his retirement in October 2024, the JD13 Testimonial Year will run through to May 2025 having kicked off in June 2024.
More information about Testimonial year events can be found here:
