Young Gun: Owen Jenkins, Wales U20s winger

The son of former Wales hooker Garin Jenkins and part of the Welsh U20s squad at the Junior World Championships – it would be easy to think it’s a case of like father like son for Pontypridd‘s Owen Jenkins.
But while his dad – the last miner to play internationally for Wales and their most capped hooker – was best known for his knowledge of the dark arts, Jenkins Jnr is making his name as a flying winger.
So impressive has he been for Ponty this term that he got a call-up to the Welsh Sevens squad, with whom he will also play next season, getting the chance to run out at Twickenham last month in the last round of the IRB Sevens series.
Jenkins has featured in all three JWC games as Danny Wilson’s side have booked their place in the semi-finals.
That followed a season in which he helped Ponty to a league and cup double, and the 19-year-old admits he couldn’t have asked for much more from the season.
He said: “Everything has happened so quickly. I played the SWALEC Cup final with Pontypridd before going to Twickenham for Wales Sevens and then getting called up to the U20s.
“It was really exciting to be picked for the Junior World Championship, especially after last year when the guys were the first team ever to beat New Zealand – so there are big shoes to fill.
“We got to train with the Wales team heading to Japan before going to France which was very exciting as well.
“I’ve been involved in the U18s before, but this is my first time with the U20s so it’s great to have been picked.
“I pretty much came in straight from Twickenham to the U20s camp, so it’s been a hectic few weeks.
“From a Ponty perspective it’s been an incredible year and great to be involved in. We won the league and the cup, and then the play-off.
“To do all that and then get called up to play at Twickenham in the Sevens was brilliant.
“We were playing in front of a world record crowd and it was an unbelievable experience, we couldn’t hear each other!
“It’s really helped me having my old man, he’s been a great support, although I don’t think he played much Sevens.
“We obviously play very different positions, but I think he’s quite happy that I’m not playing in the front row, he’s seen what goes on in there.
“He’s really good with me, he doesn’t put on too much pressure but it’s good to talk to him.”
Jenkins is currently studying at UWIC, for whom he played last season, and enjoyed his first season of senior rugby this year.
Despite being part of the Sevens set-up next year, he’s very clear that his long-term ambition is to crack his way into the XVs national set-up, although it could have been very different had he stuck with his first sport.
Jenkins, who is also part of the Blues academy, explained: “When I was younger I played a lot of football, and even up to the age of about 15 or 16 I was still more of footballer.
“I played up front, like in rugby, I was a bit of a glory boy.
“I had trials with Swansea, Cardiff and Yeovil but I decided to come back to rugby.”