Jamie Jones-Buchanan: 'I was born on Yorkshire Day - I have a militant pride about being a Yorkshireman'

The first thing that comes to mind is that I was born on Yorkshire Day, August 1st. I remember my mum giving me my birth certificate which said Leeds, Leeds, Leeds on it.

You can’t have a better story than being a Yorkshireman born on Yorkshire Day. Another memory is of my mum, Christine, and my grandma, Winifred, working as waitresses in the Headingley pavilion.

I’d be about four, so I’d be running about near the pavilion looking at the cricketers.

Later, it became apparent when I was taken over to the rugby side of the stadium that rugby was more attractive to me than cricket.

I first picked up a rugby ball, aged six or seven, when we moved to Bramley.

What is your favourite part of Yorkshire?

Leeds and the city centre because it’s my home. When I drive down the M621 and am getting towards Elland Road, the Leeds landscape opens up, and it just explodes.

It seems there are a million cranes and when I’ve been marathon training in recent years, I run through the city centre and become nostalgic because I’m running through my home city.

I’ve never found anything like Leeds.

What is your favourite walk?

Visiting Malham Cove. I’m a big Harry Potter fan and quite a few scenes were filmed there.

I also have nice memories of walking with the Leeds rugby players to Janet’s Foss, the waterfall near Malham, and diving in.

What’s your favourite Yorkshire view?

I’m going to sound a bit parochial because it’s where I live in Bramley. It’s at the top of Broad Lane, it’s really high and you can see Leeds.

That view reminds me what I’ve represented since I was a 15-year-old and who I represent now. I have a passion to serve the city of Leeds which has given me everything I’ve got.

Which Yorkshire sportsman or woman would you like to take out for lunch?

My favourite person in the world is not Yorkshire born, but played for Leeds Rhinos and it’s Kevin Sinfield, my closest friend.

Kevin’s the most inspirational male in my life. He’s exemplary when you consider the millions he’s raised for charity.

Which Yorkshire entertainer would you like to take out for dinner?

Billy Pearce, the comedian and actor. He’s amazing. My wife used to go to the pantos at the Alhambra in Bradford and watch him.

If you could own something in Yorkshire for the day, what would it be?

Kirkstall Abbey. I am a born-again Christian, and I think the abbey is a beautiful piece of Yorkshire history. I’ve often wondered what I would do if I owned it.

I’d restore the abbey and be a medieval knight and use it as a base. I love the River Aire nearby, have fished there and caught trout.

What do you think gives Yorkshire its unique identity?

I think it’s northern working-class grit. We show toughness and fortitude to overcome any challenge without displaying any arrogance.

We have a distinctive accent which people recognise, but I do think that one of the Yorkshire weaknesses is that we don’t shout enough about what we’re good at.

Who is the Yorkshire person you admire the most?

Probably John Smeaton (1724-1792). He was from Leeds and is the person who coined the phrase civil engineers.

Smeaton was responsible for the design of bridges, canals, harbours and lighthouses and is regarded as the father of civil engineering.

Born in Austhorpe, a suburb of east Leeds, he was educated at Leeds Grammar School.

How would you say that Yorkshire has influenced your career?

Very much. Rugby league has been at the centre of my career, and I started to play because I was encouraged by our next-door neighbour in Hill Rise Grove in Bramley.

We played on the grass outside our house. Looking back, sport saved me. I have a militant pride in being a Yorkshireman and it gives me a sense of tribal well-being.

How do you think Yorkshire has changed since you’ve known it?

One thing I’ve noticed is that a lot of young people here are not getting the opportunity to develop skills to get a job.

When you look at Leeds now compared with what it was like when I was growing up, the city is swelling and is beginning to look like New York or Chicago which means growth and prosperity.

What is your favourite restaurant?

I’m going to go with one of our partners at Leeds Rhinos, and it’s a big chain of fish and chip restaurants called the Wetherby Whaler. A good fish and chips brings a family together and gets everyone around the table. The Wetherby Whaler in Guiseley has looked after our rugby players plenty of times.

What is your favourite pub?

I have fond memories of going with my wife, Emma, to the Great Northern on Richardshaw Lane at Stanningley in Pudsey.

How difficult has it been to adjust from being a player to being chief executive at Leeds Rhinos?

It’s been quite easy. I think it’s because I’m still competing but in a different arena. The community values of the Rhinos-caring for people-remain the same.

For example, not that long ago, we had the Rob Burrow Marathon. Twenty thousand were involved and we raised £14.1m for 260 different charities.

As players, we were in a team that cared for each other and that emphasis on care is the same whether I’m a player or in my current role.

If a stranger came to Yorkshire and you had time to take that person to one place only, where would that be?

I really like Whitby and the big abbey. The area has great memories for me, my wife and our four boys.

The drive over to Whitby is nice as well. I like taking them to the seaside. I love Scarborough too and grew up a lot in Bridlington, but I think the coastal town that has the richest identity in Whitby.