Leon MacDonald
Encyclopedia
Leon Raymond MacDonald is a retired New Zealand
rugby union
footballer, and now assistant coach for the Tasman Makos rugby team, who played 56 tests for the national team, All Blacks
. He plays first five-eighths (fly-half) and fullback.
, and attended Marlborough Boys' College. He is married to Hayley.
in the Super 14
, and played for Canterbury in the National Provincial Championship
. He is a prodigious goal kicker. He is rare among New Zealand exported players, because he played even better after his return from Japan. In 2008, Sky Sport's Reunion awarded him the Crusader's MVP title for their Super 14 title winning season.
He plays for Burnside in the Christchurch
premier competition. He made his All Blacks
debut age 22, versus Scotland
in 2000. He scored a total of 141 test points (14 tries, 25 conversions, 7 penalties) in the 56 tests he played. He has also played for New Zealand Maori
in which he has played 3 games and scored 10 points. He scored the winning try for the NZ Maori
against the British and Irish Lions
in 2005 in Hamilton.
In the 2003 Rugby World Cup
, he was shifted from fullback to centre by All Blacks backline coach Robbie Deans
. This proved to be a failure, and was the last time he was ever to be played at centre. In 2005, he was shifted to flyhalf during the Tri-Nations by All Blacks backline coach to cover for the injured Daniel Carter.
in Japan
. He played for Kintetsu Liners
in Japan in the 2009-2010 season. In 2010 he announced his immediate retirement from rugby, after failing to recover from a long-term injury. It was also announced in 2010 that MacDonald would become an assistant coach for the Tasman Makos for the 2010 season.
when they won it in the 1993-94.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
footballer, and now assistant coach for the Tasman Makos rugby team, who played 56 tests for the national team, All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
. He plays first five-eighths (fly-half) and fullback.
Biography
MacDonald was born in Blenheim, New ZealandBlenheim, New Zealand
Blenheim is the most populous town in the region of Marlborough, in the north east of the South Island of New Zealand, and the seat of the regional council. It has a population of The area which surrounds the town is well known as a centre of New Zealand's wine industry...
, and attended Marlborough Boys' College. He is married to Hayley.
Career
He made his provincial debut for Marlborough against Buller in 1994. He played 122 matches for the Crusaders and seven for the ChiefsChiefs (Super rugby franchise)
The Chiefs are a professional Rugby union team based in Hamilton, New Zealand. Their home ground is Waikato Stadium. The Chiefs play in black, red and yellow coloured jerseys...
in the Super 14
Super 14
Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
, and played for Canterbury in the National Provincial Championship
National Provincial Championship
The National Provincial Championship, or NPC, is the major domestic rugby competition in New Zealand. The NPC has seen many alterations to its format and brand. Since 2006 the National Championship has been split into 2 competitions, the ITM Cup and the Heartland Championship...
. He is a prodigious goal kicker. He is rare among New Zealand exported players, because he played even better after his return from Japan. In 2008, Sky Sport's Reunion awarded him the Crusader's MVP title for their Super 14 title winning season.
He plays for Burnside in the Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
premier competition. He made his All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
debut age 22, versus Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
in 2000. He scored a total of 141 test points (14 tries, 25 conversions, 7 penalties) in the 56 tests he played. He has also played for New Zealand Maori
New Zealand Maori rugby union team
New Zealand Māori is a rugby union team that traditionally plays teams touring New Zealand. A prerequisite for playing in this team is that the player is to have Māori whakapapa or genealogy. In the past this rule was not strictly applied. In the past non-Māori players who looked Māori were often...
in which he has played 3 games and scored 10 points. He scored the winning try for the NZ Maori
New Zealand Maori rugby union team
New Zealand Māori is a rugby union team that traditionally plays teams touring New Zealand. A prerequisite for playing in this team is that the player is to have Māori whakapapa or genealogy. In the past this rule was not strictly applied. In the past non-Māori players who looked Māori were often...
against the British and Irish Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
in 2005 in Hamilton.
In the 2003 Rugby World Cup
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
, he was shifted from fullback to centre by All Blacks backline coach Robbie Deans
Robbie Deans
Robert Maxwell Deans is the current coach of the Wallabies and former All Black. He is the former coach of the Crusaders. He also served as assistant to former All Blacks coach John Mitchell between late 2001 and 2003...
. This proved to be a failure, and was the last time he was ever to be played at centre. In 2005, he was shifted to flyhalf during the Tri-Nations by All Blacks backline coach to cover for the injured Daniel Carter.
Japan
In 2004 season, MacDonald had played for Yamaha JubiloYamaha Jubilo
Yamaha Jubilo is a rugby union team based in Iwata, Shizuoka. The team came second behind Toshiba Brave Lupus in the second season of Japanese rugby's Top League...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. He played for Kintetsu Liners
Kintetsu Liners
Kintetsu Liners rugby team are a Japanese rugby union team owned by Kintetsu Corporation which was founded in 1929. They have won the All-Japan Championship three times as an amateur team...
in Japan in the 2009-2010 season. In 2010 he announced his immediate retirement from rugby, after failing to recover from a long-term injury. It was also announced in 2010 that MacDonald would become an assistant coach for the Tasman Makos for the 2010 season.
Cricket
He has also played for Marlborough in the Hawke CupHawke Cup
The Hawke Cup is a cricket competition for New Zealand's District Associations. Apart from 1910/11, 1912/13 and 2000/01 the competition has always been on a challenge basis. In order to win the Hawke Cup the challenger must beat the holder on their home ground...
when they won it in the 1993-94.