BLAENAVON RFC is set to honour one of its most famous former players with a pre-season game on August 7.

The Ken Jones Memorial Match will see the home side take on Newport, in an effort to raise funds for the Ken Jones memorial statue.

The game is scheduled to take place around the time that Mr Jones was awarded an Olympic medal in the 1948 London Olympic games.

Mr Jones was awarded a silver medal as part of the 4x100 relay squad.

The game will start at 7pm at the Blaenavon Recreation Ground.

Beforehand the Dragons will train at the grounds between 10am and 3pm, and people are invited to watch the session and meet the squad.

Entry to the game is £4 on the gate, with all monies going into the memorial fund.

Our sister paper, the Free Press, launched an appeal last August to help raise funds to commission a statue of the athlete, who was born in Blaenavon in 1921 and died in 2006, age 84.

Sculptor Les Johnson has been chosen to produce a statue, which is expected to cost around £80,000.

So far the appeal has raised £13,901.47.

As well as being an Olympic athlete, Ken Jones became a rugby player for Blaenavon RFC and then went on to play for Newport RFC.

The former West Monmouth Grammar School pupil became best known for his winning try against the All Blacks in 1953.

To donate to the fund, cheques can be posted to Lewis Freeman at 52 Thornhill Close, Upper Cwmbran, Torfaen, NP44 5TQ.