Higgsy announced as captain for 2025

South Wales Jets are proud to announce that Dean Higgs will once again captain our men’s side for the forthcoming 2025 season.

The 38-year old has been a big influence on the side over the last couple of years, scoring 17 tries and even kicking a goal in his 16 appearances. The Jets have never lost in the Welsh League when he’s been in the side.

With seven Wales Dragonhearts caps to his name, Higgsy continues to bring that experience to the side, with some players a couple of decades younger than him. He’s also played for West Wales Raiders, Aber Valley Wolves, Valley Cougars and East Wales in his rugby league career.

There will be two vice captains in the 2025 season – Lewis “Mad dog” Hughes and Matt Jacobs.

The dog, a flying winger, joined the Jets last season and scored 13 tries in his nine appearances. He has the better of his skipper by playing for two different Welsh sides, winning three caps for Wales Students in 2016 and just the one cap for the Dragonhearts a year earlier. He also toured Canada with South Wales Scorpions and like Higgsy is a Welsh Grand Final winner, but with Bridgend Blue Bulls. Rumours are he once signed for Bridgend Ravens in rugby union but we can’t find his name on a team sheet anywhere.

A relative newcomer to rugby league, Matt made his debut for the Jets back in 2023 and he’s now racked up 15 appearances for the club scoring six tries. Born in Oxford but brought up in West Wales, he turned out for Welsh Colleges in rugby union back in the day (a long time ago). He even managed four appearances in the Scarlets first team back in the 2008-09 season, and has toured France, Spain, Georgia, Portugal and the Netherlands with Crawshays. A regular in the Welsh Premiership for a few clubs but mainly Llandovery where he made 185 appearances scoring 46 tries.

Jets’ chairman Liam Price said: “Dean Higgs bleeds pink and green and as chairman, I fully support the coaches’ decision for Dean to remain as captain. Since the beginning Dean has been one of few people that I could turn to for help in building this team. Even in his vintage years he’s still one of the best players in the league. It’s also great to see Mad dog and Matt as vice captains. They also both bring a range of experience for a our younger players as we look to regain our title in 2025.”