Asda colleague helps bring home gold at the Wheelchair Rugby Celtic Cup for the third year in a row

A staff member at Asda in Wrexham helped bring home gold last month at the Wheelchair Rugby Celtic Cup for the third year in a row

20-year-old Harry Jones competed with the Wales wheelchair rugby squad against Ireland – scoring an impressive 84-30 against the team.

Harry, who works part-time at at Asda in Wrexham, took up the sport six years ago when he was diagnosed with photosensitive epilepsy and had to stop playing running rugby.

“I played running rugby league until I was 14,” explained Harry.

“Then I found out I wouldn’t be able to play running rugby due to the risk of suffering a head trauma when you have epilepsy.

“I was devastated. I loved playing rugby and I thought that was the end of me being able to play the game.

“When I heard about the wheelchair version, I gave it a go, enjoyed it and the rest is history, I’ve played ever since.”

Alongside his work at Asda, Harry is also studying Events Management at the University of Chester.

He was first called up by Wales in 2014 and as of Saturday has now won three Celtic Cups as well as helping the team to second place in the Four Nations and fifth in the World Cup.

The team are coached by Harry’s dad Steve, who also manages Harry’s club side, the North Wales Crusaders.

Harry continued: “My colleagues have been really supportive and a few of them have come to watch me play before which is great. They all wish me well and put announcements out about me on the stores speaker system.

“I’m obviously chuffed that we’ve brought home another Celtic Cup for the third year in a row. It means the world to me that I can still enjoy the sport I love, and that my epilepsy hasn’t held me back.”

Harry’s dad Steve said: “I’m over the moon that Harry and the team have done it again and brought home another win for Wales.

“Harry goes through phases with his seizures. He can have two or three seizures a week and can then go a few months without one. If he’s at any sort of event, and there’s flash photography, that can start off a seizure and he can have three or four in an hour.

“Wheelchair rugby league is an all-inclusive sport. We’ve got an amputee, children and adults with cerebral palsy, another with neurological issues and others with learning difficulties.”

Asda Wrexham general store manager, Shaun Leech, added: “Everyone in the store is really proud of Harry. He’s a very down to earth, sensible, likeable young man and is very popular.

“He’s so passionate about everything he does including his rugby and everyone at the store are bursting with pride anyway, let alone after he brought home another Celtic Cup at the weekend.”