NEWS

Loving Life In NOLA – Dorian Jones Talks The Big Easy Ahead Of Free Jacks Challenge

Written by Joe Harvey | Photos by Gregory Guignon

When asked about the difference between New Orleans and his home in Wales, Dorian Jones chuckled.

Now into his second Major League Rugby season at the Gold Mine on Airline with NOLA Gold, the playmaker caught up with Major League Rugby ahead of the team’s trip to the New England Free Jacks on Saturday afternoon.

Born and raised just outside Ebbw Vale in the Welsh county of Gwent, the 32-year-old has traded life in the quiet surroundings of Wales’ rolling valleys for the hustle and bustle of the Big Easy.

“In Wales, my Auntie lives on the same street as me, my nan (grandmother) lives on the street behind, and my other nan is a 20-minute walk away,” he said.

“It is a little village with one road in, one road out, and you know everyone on your street by name.

“New Orleans is a pretty big town. You can’t walk too far; you’ve got to take your car wherever you go.”

Jones has been playing professional rugby since 2013.

Starting his career with Dragons RFC in the Pro12 (now United Rugby Championship), the fly-half’s career took him to Premiership Rugby side Worcester Warriors before moving across the English Channel in 2018.

At the end of six enjoyable years playing rugby in the French second division, Jones was after a new challenge, and MLR was at the top of the playmaker’s list.

Watching the competition’s first season from afar for the first six seasons, after a medical joker stint with Agen in Pro D2, he signed up with the NOLA Gold.

“For the last couple of years, I was in France. I was looking at MLR and thought it was growing, and there are some good players here,” Jones said.

“I had the option to stay in France, and I had the option to come to MLR, and I thought that at 31, if I didn’t take the opportunity, would I ever have the opportunity to come to the States and play in MLR?”

Jones’ first MLR season saw the Gold progress to the Playoffs for the very first time.

Making five appearances and scoring 38 points, the fly-half got to experience an entirely new environment outside of Europe for the first time in his career.

Part of MLR’s attraction to the Welshman was the opportunity to be coached by coaches from the southern hemisphere for the first time and continue his own personal development.

Last year, it was Cory Brown heading up the Gold, while this year, Danny Lee joined the team after three successful years with the San Diego Legion in the Western Conference.

“I want to get better every week,” Jones said. “There are things that I did last week that I can improve. There are things I did the week before that I can improve on.

“I don’t think I would be where I am today if I didn’t have the mentality of constantly wanting to improve.”

In addition to honing his craft, Jones is also able to pursue another of his passions, coaching.

Teaching the next generation has been a significant part of his life for much of his senior career.

He comes from good coaching stock. His father, Kingsley, coached Sale Sharks to Premiership glory in 2006 and was Canada’s head coach most recently.

The 32-year-old even recalled when he was a part-time player, balancing his elite rugby with working at Brynmawr School and starring in an EPCR Challenge Cup quarter-final the day after refereeing a rugby game.

Currently coaching at Brother Martin High School with NOLA back-row forward Jonah Mau’u once a week, Jones is getting hands-on as his team continues to grow rugby in the city they call home.

Having doubled the number of schools competing in the Louisiana High School State Championship, Jesuit High School’s long-standing dominance in the competition was broken.

Even hoping to help coach the Gold’s U18 and U16 teams later this year, Jones is savoring the chance to take the sport he loves to new people.

“It has to be said, they’re the nicest, politest kids I’ve ever worked with,” Jones said.

“They want to learn, and it is a good opportunity for me to practice. I’m learning from them as much as they are learning from me.

“I’ve never coached people that are so athletic but also lack understanding as they’ve only played for four or five weeks, but they’re big, fast, and strong.

“It’s unique to coach over here. In Wales, my nephew is 10 years old and can spin-pass off both hands; he can kick and has all of those skills because, in Wales, you pick up a rugby ball when you are six.

“We had a wrestler turn up last Wednesday. He never touched a rugby ball and is the best tackler I’ve ever seen as a 16-year-old.”

Coming into Week 5 fresh from their first bye week of the season, NOLA is looking to build on a 1-2 record.

Pure gold @nolagoldrugby starts 2025 on a high note as Pat O’Toole celebrates a 50th MLR Cap with ✌️ tries #NOLAvARC | #MLR2025 pic.twitter.com/C6PlQTqI0s

— Major League Rugby (@usmlr) February 16, 2025

After picking up a win over Anthem RC on the opening weekend, the Louisiana club has succumbed to defeats at the hands of the Miami Sharks and Utah Warriors.

In his two appearances so far in 2025, Jones has kicked 20 points as the team has got to grips with the new system that Danny Lee has implemented in the Deep South.

Check out week three's Gold talks with Dorian Jones!👑
–https://t.co/XLaEXcu45j pic.twitter.com/bPPlmwp10A

— NOLA Gold Rugby (@nolagoldrugby) February 28, 2025

Prior to the 2025 season getting underway, Lee set out his team’s aims for his first season in charge and brought in a raft of new recruits along for the ride.

Whether it was USA internationals Joe Taufete’e, Paul Mullen, and Ruben de Haas or former France internationals Kélian Galletier and Xavier Mignot, it is a club teeming with talent.

This weekend, NOLA travels to two-time champions, the New England Free Jacks, in a must-win game for both teams.

The Kings Are on a Quest!💪🏼🏉
NOLA Gold is hitting the road, ready to battle the Free Jacks for the throne!
Rally behind your Gold and show your royal support—tune in at 1 PM on Saturday and cheer us on as we fight for the crown!👑 pic.twitter.com/Z6we0BBVQM

— NOLA Gold Rugby (@nolagoldrugby) March 14, 2025

Each side has six points in the bag with three games played and currently has a 1-2 record as the Free Jacks hope to restart their three-peat homes and the Gold hope to return to the postseason for a second year running.

“We are still learning and improving the system of rugby that we’re playing and the style of rugby that we’re playing,” Jones said.

“We still haven’t nailed that to the best of our ability yet. I’m confident we can be in the Playoffs.

“A goal of ours this year is to win the league, but we have got to build, and we can do that if we’re at the best of our ability and perform at the level we know we can.”

Watch the NOLA Gold take on the New England Free Jacks live on this Saturday, March 15 on ESPN+ in the USA, Sky Sports in New Zealand, and The Rugby Network everywhere else in the world.