Birth Name: Michael Niko Jones
Place of Birth: Auckland, New Zealand
Date of Birth: April 8, 1965
Ethnicity: Samoan (mother), Scottish, English, Welsh
Michael Jones is a New Zealand rugby union player from 1985-1999 and coach of the Samoan rugby team from 2004-2007. Michael holds the Samoan matai (chief) titles of La’auli and Savae.
Michael has said:
“People have only seemed to find out recently that my father was a full New Zealander. A lot of people still don’t seem to know, not for a moment do I not appreciate my Samoan side but I am a Kiwi-Samoan who was blessed to be born in this country.”
Michael is the son of Mainamaileafi (Maina) Apa and Derek Leonard Foster Jones, who were teachers. He is married to Maliena, with whom he has three children.
Maina Apa was the daughter of Niko Vaimasenu’u Apa (aka Niko Apa/Niko V. Apa/Apa Niko Vaimasenu’u Tamapua, 1903-1943) and Taaloga Kaiona/Ta’aloga Apa (1907-1966).
Niko Vaimasenu’u Apa (1903-1943) was the son of Niko Vaimasenu’u Tamapua Apa from Moata’a, Samoa and Meripa/Melipa Apa from Sapapali’i, Samoa.
Taaloga Kaiona (1907-1966) was the daughter of Tafeamaalii Taauta Kaiona and Nerisa/Nelisa Muliaumavae.
Derek Jones was the son of Sidney Leonard Jones and Kathleen Dorothy Gibson. Sidney was the son of Leonard Llewelyn Jones and Sarah Foster from Mansfield, Nottingham, England. Leonard was the son of Thomas Jones from Montgomery, Powys, Wales and Maria Salter from Hook Norton, Oxfordshire, England.
Kathleen Gibson was the daughter of Herbert Gibson and Isobel Evelyn Maud Hale. Herbert Gibson was the son of Robert Gibson from Dalkeith, Midlothian, Scotland and Margaret Petrie from Durris, Kincardineshire, Scotland.
Isobel Hale was the daughter of Alfred Henry Hale and Emily Lawrence from Hertfordshire, England. Alfred’s parents might have been Edwin and Martha Hale from Bristol, England.
Sources: Genealogy of Michael Jones – https://www.geni.com
Genealogy of Emily Hale – https://www.geni.com
Article where he talks about his parents – https://www.nzherald.co.nz