Ryan Paul Jones MBE (born 13 March 1981) is a Wales former international rugby union player who played at number eight, blindside flanker or second row.

Jones started his club career with Newport RFC making just one appearance as a replacement for Alix Popham versus Bridgend in May 1999.

After leaving Newport he made 12 appearances for Bridgend RFC, before moving on to the Celtic Warriors at the start of regional rugby in 2003.

He was succeeded as captain by his Wales and British & Irish Lions colleague Alun Wyn Jones at the start of the 2010–11 season.

On 24 March 2014, Jones signed for English club Bristol Rugby, who were competing in the RFU Championship, on a two-year contract from the 2014–15 season.

[11] Jones was named captain of the Welsh team for the Autumn internationals in 2009, when the side faced New Zealand, Samoa, Argentina and Australia.

He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2021 Birthday Honours for services to rugby union football and charitable fundraising in Wales.

[14][15] From January 2019, Jones was promoted to become the WRU Performance Director, a newly created role as part of the Professional Rugby Board (PRB), effectively swapping jobs with Geraint John.