WORCESTER City captain Craig Jones will take to the ring next month in a boxing event being held in Birmingham.

Jones will take part in ‘Fightfest’ on Friday July 30 at Handsworth RUFC for an event that will also raise funds for armed forces charities.

But this is nothing new for the skipper.

“I’ve been boxing for six or seven years now,” said Jones.

“I have boxed at an amateur level and settled for the unlicensed boxing because it goes well with my football. I have had about 30-35 fights at that level.

“This will be the first time I have boxed since October 2019. The last time was after a City game at South Normanton away, we played and drew 1-1 and then I went and had a box after that.

“It is a regular show but the guy that promotes the show used to be in the armed forces so he donates to those causes and money from the fight will go to arms forces charities as well so all to a good cause.”

Jones is an experienced fighter at amateur level and has long since used boxing to help him with his football.

“I’m a massive boxing fan,” he added.

“It’s something I wish i got into more when I was younger, I have always watched it.

“In the first place I used it to keep fit for football and I felt it helped my game.Then it just snowballed from there and I have never looked back.

“Lots of aspects have helped improve my game; so the explosive stuff and the fitness, but also from a discipline point of view.

“As a boxer I have to stay at a certain weight so that involved eating and drinking healthy. That obviously helps.”

For anyone who has watched the City captain play will know he is renowned for his no-nonsense approach to football but Jones explains how being in the ring has helped him manage his aggression.

“I have always been quite aggressive football wise but boxing has definitely helped my channel it,” he continued.

“When I was younger I loved a tackle a little bit more and I was more argumentative than I should have been to the wrong sort of people and that got me in a bit of trouble from time to time."

A teacher in his day job, Jones believes boxing can provide invaluable lessons to young children in particular.

“The school I work at I have tried to get kids involved in boxercise classes and after school clubs because of the discipline and respect it promotes,” he added.

“Some people are a bit sceptical about the reputation of boxers, but the last people that are going to get in trouble at the weekends are boxers."