# JW Bell
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> Source revision: 1342981954
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{{Short description|Spain international rugby union player (born 1990)}}
{{Use South African English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox rugby biography
| name = JW Bell
| image =File:John-Wessel Bell 2024.jpg
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1990|01|18|df=y}}
| birth_place = [Cape Town](/source/Cape_Town), South Africa
| height = {{height|m=1.75}}
| weight = {{convert|80|kg|stlb lb|0|abbr=on}}
| school = Eldoraigne High School
| university = [University of Pretoria](/source/University_of_Pretoria)
| position = [Full-Back / Wing](/source/Rugby_union_positions)
| currentclub = Cape Town Harlequins RC
| youthyears1 = 2009–2010
| youthclubs1 = {{Rut|Pumas}}
| years1 = 2011–2012
| clubs1 = {{Rut|Falcons}}
| apps1 = 29
| points1 = 60
| years2 = 2013–2015
| clubs2 = {{Rut|Pumas}}
| apps2 = 55
| points2 = 95
| years3 = 2016
| clubs3 = {{Rut|Lions}}
| apps3 = 2
| points3 = 0
| years4 = 2015-2016
| clubs4 = {{Rut|Golden Lions}}
| apps4 = 1
| points4 = 5
| years5 = 2016–2022
| clubs5 = [Valladolid RAC](/source/Valladolid_RAC)
| apps5 = 36
| points5 = 144
| years6 = 2022–2025
| clubs6 = [CR El Salvador](/source/CR_El_Salvador)
| apps6 =
| points6 =
| years7 = 2025–
| clubs7 = Cape Town Harlequins RC
| apps7 =
| points7 =
| clubupdate = 17 February 2026
| repyears1 = 2019–
| repteam1 = [Spain](/source/Spain_national_rugby_union_team)
| repcaps1 = 30
| reppoints1 = 40
| repupdate = 17 February 2026
|birth_name=John-Wessel Bell|caption=Bell with [Spain](/source/Spain_national_rugby_union_team) in 2024}}
'''John-Wessel Bell''' (born 18 January 1990) is a professional [rugby union](/source/rugby_union) player who plays for Cape Town Harlequins RC. Born in South Africa, he played for the [Spain national rugby union team](/source/Spain_national_rugby_union_team).[{{SA Rugby Player Profile | id=50079 | name=JW Bell | date=4 June 2016}}][{{cite web | work=sportunplugged.co.za | url=http://sportunplugged.co.za/index.php/component/content/article/2-uncategorised/41-mbombela-stadium-finally-home-of-the-pumas | title=Mbombela Stadium finally home of the Pumas |access-date=8 April 2013}}]
Bell is a utility back who can play as a [full-back, wing or fly-half](/source/Rugby_union_positions).
He was a member of the [Pumas](/source/Pumas_(Currie_Cup)) side that won the [Vodacom Cup](/source/Vodacom_Cup) for the first time in [2015](/source/2015_Vodacom_Cup), beating {{Rut|Western Province}} 24–7 in the final.[{{cite web| title=Steval Pumas first-time Vodacom Cup champions – Final Review | date=31 May 2015 | access-date=9 June 2016 | url=http://www.sarugby.co.za/article.aspx?category=sarugby/vodacomcup&id=3030244 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160609204339/http://www.sarugby.co.za/article.aspx?category=sarugby/vodacomcup&id=3030244 | url-status=dead | archive-date=9 June 2016}}] Bell made seven appearances during the season, scoring one try.
He signed a contract to join [Johannesburg](/source/Johannesburg)-based side the {{Rut|Golden Lions}} prior to the 2016 season.[{{cite web | url=http://www.netwerk24.com/sport/rugby/2015-10-07-stefan-watermeyer-verruil-pumas-vir-kings-leeus-gaps-jw-bell | title=Stefan Watermeyer verruil Pumas vir Kings, Leeus gaps JW Bell | work=Netwerk24 | date=7 October 2015 | access-date=8 October 2015 | language=af}}]
After the [2016 Currie Cup](/source/2016_Currie_Cup_First_Division), Bell played for [Spanish](/source/Spain) [División de Honor](/source/Divisi%C3%B3n_de_Honor_de_Rugby) side [Valladolid](/source/Valladolid_RAC) until 2022, when he signed for the city's rival team, [CR El Salvador](/source/CR_El_Salvador).[{{cite press release | url=http://www.valladolidrac.com/contenido.php?art_id=7139 | title=El zaguero sudafricano John-Wessel Bell, nueva pieza para el VRAC 2016/2017 | publisher=Valladolid RAC | date=4 December 2016 | access-date=9 January 2017 | language=es}}][{{cite web | url=http://ferugby.habitualdata.com/FerFichaFederado.aspx?idFederado=10142 | title=Ficha Federado | work=Federación Española de Rugby | access-date=9 January 2017 | language=es}}]
==International career==
On 23 November 2019, he made his debut for h the [Spanish National Team](/source/Spain_national_rugby_union_team) in a test match against [Hong Kong](/source/Hong_Kong_national_rugby_union_team) in the [National Stadium Complutense](/source/Estadio_Nacional_Complutense).[{{Cite web |date=23 November 2019 |title=España gana con claridad a Hong Kong en su último encuentro amistoso del año |url=https://www.marca.com/rugby/2019/11/23/5dd96be446163f0f8d8b45cd.html |access-date=29 January 2020 |website=Marca.com |language=es}}]
He represented Spain in several editions of the [Rugby Europe International Championships](/source/Rugby_Europe_International_Championships) and the qualifiers for the World Cups in [2023](/source/2023_Rugby_World_Cup) and [2027](/source/2027_Men's_Rugby_World_Cup), where Spain qualified after beating [the Netherlands](/source/Netherlands_national_rugby_union_team) and [Switzerland](/source/Switzerland_national_rugby_union_team). He announced his international retirement on 18 February 2025 aged 35, having won 25 official caps and scoring 40 points.[{{Cite web |date= 18 February 2025 |title=JOHN-WESSEL BELL OFICIALIZA SU RENUNCIA A LA SELECCIÓN ESPAÑOLA |url=https://ferugby.es/john-wessel-bell-oficializa-su-renuncia-a-la-seleccion-espanola/ |website=FERugby.es |language=es}}][{{Cite web |date=18 February 2025 |title=John-Wessel Bell anuncia su retirada de la selección española |url=https://www.marca.com/rugby/2025/02/18/john-wessel-bell-anuncia-retirada-seleccion-espanola.html |website=Marca.com |language=es}}]
On June 6, 2025, his departure from [CR El Salvador](/source/CR_El_Salvador) of the División de Honor rugby team was announced, to return to his homeland, South Africa, signing for Cape Town Harlequins RC.[{{Cite web|url= https://www.rugbyelsalvador.com/john-wessel-bell-y-brad-leuila-no-seguiran-en-el-inexo-el-salvador-la-proxima-temporada/|title= JOHN WESSEL-BELL Y BRAD LEUILA NO SEGUIRÁN EN EL INEXO EL SALVADOR LA PRÓXIMA TEMPORADA|date=6 June 2025| website=El Salvador Rugby|language=es}}] After leaving the Valladolid team, he asked the [Spanish Rugby Federation](/source/Spanish_Rugby_Federation) to revoke his resignation from joining the Spanish national team, claiming that the family problems he was facing had been resolved.[{{Cite web|url= https://ferugby.es/john-wessel-bell-pide-revocar-su-renuncia-a-la-seleccion-espanola/|title= John Wessel Bell pide revocar su renuncia a la Selección Española|date=11 June 2025| website=Ferugby.es|language=es}}]
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* {{sports links}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bell, J. W.}}
Category:1990 births
Category:Living people
Category:South African rugby union players
Category:South African emigrants to Spain
Category:Pumas (Currie Cup) players
Category:Valke (rugby union) players
Category:Rugby union fullbacks
Category:Rugby union players from Cape Town
Category:Valladolid RAC players
Category:CR El Salvador players
Category:South African people of Spanish descent
Category:Spanish people of South African descent
Category:South African expatriate rugby union players in Spain
Category:Spain international rugby union players
Category:21st-century South African sportsmen
Category:21st-century Spanish sportsmen
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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [JW Bell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JW_Bell) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JW_Bell?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.