Stephen Donald
 | |||
| Date of birth | 3 December 1983 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Place of birth | Papakura, New Zealand | ||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Weight | 96 kg (15 st 2 lb) [1] | ||
| School | Waiuku College
Wesley College | ||
| University | University of Auckland University of Waikato | ||
| Rugby union career | |||
| Playing career | |||
| Position | Fly-half Centre | ||
| New Zealand No. | 1075 | ||
| Professional / senior clubs | |||
| Years | Club / team | Caps | (points) |
| 2011–13 2013–15 |
Bath Rugby Mitsubishi Dynaboars |
34 | (169) |
| correct as of 4 March 2014. | |||
| Provincial/State sides | |||
| Years | Club / team | Caps | (points) |
| 2002–03 2004–11, 15– |
Counties Manukau Waikato |
17 60 |
(491) |
| correct as of 16 October 2016. | |||
| Super Rugby | |||
| Years | Club / team | Caps | (points) |
| 2005–11, 16− | Chiefs | 90 | (859) |
| correct as of 31 May 2016. | |||
| National team(s) | |||
| Years | Club / team | Caps | (points) |
| 2005–07 2008–11 |
Junior All Blacks New Zealand |
11 23 |
(0) (98) |
Stephen Donald (born 3 December 1983) is a New Zealand rugby union player who played at First five-eighth or Centre,[2] for the All Blacks. He is best known for kicking the winning penalty in the 2011 Rugby World Cup Final.
Club career
Initially progressing and playing through all levels for his local province Waikato in the ITM Cup, he then played for the Chiefs in the Super Rugby competition.
Donald signed for English Premiership club Bath Rugby for a 2 1⁄2-year deal. Initially denied a work permit,[3] Bath appealed the decision against the UK Government and, with the support of the RFU, won their appeal against the refusal. Donald joined Bath after the Rugby World Cup 2011, making his début in the 68th minute of their Heineken Cup clash with Glasgow on 13 November 2011, scoring a penalty with 90 seconds to go.[4]
The Blues denied reports saying Donald had signed with them for the 2012 Super Rugby season as a replacement for Stephen Brett and Luke McAlister, who are both heading overseas.[5]
On 1 April 2013, it was announced Donald would leave Bath Rugby to join Japanese side Mitsubishi Dynaboars in the Top League for the 2013/14 season.[6]
In 2015 Donald had signed to come back to play for Waikato in the ITM Cup.
He made his return to the ITM Cup with Waikato on 10 September 2015 against Southland at Waikato Stadium coming on as a substitute.
On 14 June 2016 Stephen Donald captained his beloved Chiefs for the first time in the chiefs first ever international game, played against Wales. Wales were the favourites heading into the game. Stephen Donald played a man of the match role, dominating his opponents while setting up two tries and kicking 100% to lead the chiefs to a dominating 40-7 win.[7] He was also controversially disallowed a try when the TMO could not see any clear grounding just before halftime.
International career
Despite an international career that had not lived up to expectations, he played for the All Blacks from 2008 till 2011. Donald, aka 'The Beaver', kicked the winning penalty in the 2011 IRB Rugby World Cup Final for New Zealand.[8]
Donald had been criticized throughout his All Blacks' career, in particular for their last minute loss to Australia in the 4th game of the 2010 Bledisloe Cup in Hong Kong. He missed a penalty that would have put the game out of reach. Then in the last minute of the game he failed to find touch with a clearing kick. The Australians gathered the ball and launched a counterattack from which James O’Connor scored a try. O’Connor kicked the winning conversion, and the blame for the loss fell on Donald.[9] A cartoon by Tom Scott in the lead-up to the 2011 Rugby World Cup Final described it as a "nightmare" if New Zealand's fate was left in his hands.[10]
However, he came on for the injured Aaron Cruden in the first half of the World Cup Final (making his World Cup debut) and kicked what turned out to be the winning penalty goal.[8][11]
In honour of his contribution to winning the World Cup, his local rugby club in Waiuku has renamed their home ground to Beaver Park.[9]
A biopic on Donald's journey to the world cup final entitled "The Kick" screened on TVNZ on 10 August 2014.[12]
References
- ↑ "Aviva Premiership Rugby - Bath Rugby". web page. Premier Rugby. Archived from the original on 16 June 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2011.
- ↑ Stephen Donald at AllBlacks.com
- ↑ "Donald left in limbo". iafrica.com. 18 July 2011. Retrieved 18 July 2011.
- ↑ "Glasgow Warriors 26-21 Bath". BBC News. 13 November 2011.
- ↑ Leggat, David (18 July 2011). "Dalton dismisses report of Donald joining Blues". NZ Herald. Retrieved 18 July 2011.
- ↑ "Stephen Donald to leave Bath to go to Japan". BBC Sport. 1 April 2013.
- ↑ http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/international/81073679/Stephen-Donald-winds-back-the-clock-with-vintage-performance-in-victory-over-Wales
- 1 2 "BBC Sport - New Zealand hero Stephen Donald delights in 'unreal' World Cup journey". BBC News. 23 October 2011. Retrieved 2011-10-23.
- 1 2 James Ihaka and Vaimoana Tapaleao (29 October 2011). "Beaver fever in All Black Donald's hometown". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
- ↑ "Tom Scott cartoon". Stuff.co.nz. 1 March 2009. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
- ↑ Johnston, Kirsty (24 October 2011). "Stephen Donald: From ugly duck to darling". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
- ↑ "The Kick Documentary". TVNZ. 10 August 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
External links
- Stephen Donald at AllBlacks.com
- Stephen Donald Chiefs' profile