Andy Dalton (rugby union)

Last updated

Andy Dalton
1987 LC Old Boys Rugby World Cup (Andy Dalton).tif
Dalton in 1987
Birth nameAndrew Grant Dalton
Date of birth (1951-11-16) 16 November 1951 (age 72)
Place of birth Dunedin, New Zealand
Height1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight93 kg (205 lb)
School Selwyn College, Auckland
Notable relative(s) Ray Dalton (father)
Occupation(s)Company manager and director
CEO Auckland Rugby
Rugby union career
Position(s) Hooker
Provincial / State sides
YearsTeamApps(Points)
1976–82 North Island XV ()
1975–85 Counties ()
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
1977–85 New Zealand 35 (12)
Coaching career
YearsTeam
1989–91 Counties

Andrew Grant Dalton (born 16 November 1951) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. He captained the national team, the All Blacks, 17 times in tests. He is a second-generation All Black; his father Ray Dalton played in two All Blacks tests in the late 1940s.

Contents

Early years

Although born in Dunedin, he was schooled at Selwyn College in Auckland (not to be confused with Selwyn College at the University of Otago), playing for the school's first team in 1968 and 1969 as a prop. He then returned to the South Island, enrolling at Lincoln College (then a part of the University of Canterbury) to study for a Bachelor of Agricultural Science. While there, he converted to hooker, and represented Canterbury at under-20 and senior reserve level.

After graduating, he returned to Auckland, playing for the senior B side at the Eastern club. In 1975, he moved to Bombay to start a career as a farm adviser, and won representative selection for the first time at Counties. The following year, which was the first of the National Provincial Championship (the predecessor to today's Air New Zealand Cup), he was named captain at Counties.

All Blacks

Dalton earned his first All Blacks cap during their 1977 tour of France. He also played all four tests on their successful Grand Slam tour of Great Britain and Ireland in 1978, scoring the only try in their encounter with Ireland.

By 1981, he had become the regular All Blacks hooker, and captained the side for the first time when Graham Mourie was unavailable for the series against South Africa. Dalton became the full-time captain upon Mourie's 1982 retirement, most notably leading the All Blacks against the Lions during their 1983 tour. He was chosen as captain for their aborted 1985 tour of South Africa, and went on to captain the unofficial Cavaliers tour of South Africa in 1986. He suffered a broken jaw In the second match of the tour and played no more rugby that season. Dalton was one of the most successful All Blacks captains in history, victorious in 15 of his 17 tests as captain.

He was named captain of the side that would go on to win the inaugural 1987 Rugby World Cup, but suffered an injury in a practice session that ruled him out of the tournament, leaving the honour of lifting the Webb Ellis Cup to David Kirk. [1]

After rugby

After his retirement from rugby immediately after the 1987 World Cup, he continued his career in agriculture for a time, but later became a corporate manager. He coached Counties from 1989 to 1991, and was president of the New Zealand Rugby Union from 1999 to 2000. He is now the CEO of the Auckland Rugby Football Union, having also been CEO of the Auckland Blues until those roles were separated in 2014, and operates a farm in the Bombay Hills south of Auckland.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealand national rugby union team</span> Mens rugby union team of New Zealand

The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks, represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. Famed for their international success, the All Blacks have often been regarded as one of the most successful sports teams in history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealand Barbarians</span> Rugby team

The New Zealand Barbarian Rugby Club Inc., nicknamed the Barbarians, or Baa-Baas, is a rugby union club headquartered in Kingsland, Auckland. The idea came from the concept of the Barbarian F.C. The Barbarians played their home matches at Eden Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sean Fitzpatrick</span> Rugby player

Sean Brian Thomas Fitzpatrick is a New Zealand former rugby union player.

Michael James Bowie Hobbs, generally known as Jock Hobbs, was a New Zealand rugby union player and administrator. A flanker, he played for Canterbury and won 21 caps for the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks, between 1983 and 1986, with four tests as captain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keven Mealamu</span> Rugby player

Keven Filipo Mealamu is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer. He played at hooker for the Blues in Super Rugby, Auckland in the National Provincial Championship, and the New Zealand national team. He was part of the Blues team that won the 2003 Super 12 title, the third for the franchise. He was a key member of 2011 and 2015 Rugby World Cup winning teams, becoming one of only 21 players who have won the Rugby World Cup on multiple occasions.

David Steven Loveridge is an All Black of the late 1970s and early 1980s, known in his time as the greatest halfback in the world.

Alexander John "Grizz" Wyllie is a New Zealand rugby union former player and coach.

The Cavaliers was an unofficial New Zealand rugby union team which toured South Africa in 1986. Because of the Apartheid policies of the South African government, the official New Zealand Rugby Union tour scheduled for 1985 was cancelled, and the Cavaliers tour was very controversial in New Zealand.

John Vivian Pullin was an England international rugby union player. A hooker, he played club rugby for Bristol Rugby and captained the England national rugby union team for which he played 42 times between 1966 and 1976. He also won 7 full caps for the British & Irish Lions and has the distinction of having beaten the All Blacks with three different sides, England, the Lions and the Barbarians.

The 1980 New Zealand tour of Wales was a collection of friendly rugby union games undertaken by the New Zealand All Blacks against Wales that also took in two international games in North America en route to South Wales. This was a single test tour against each of the countries played, with four games against Welsh club opposition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vincent Bevan</span> Rugby player

Vincent David Bevan was a New Zealand rugby union player.

Charlie James Pearce was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.\\

The 1979 New Zealand rugby union tour of England, Scotland and Italy was a series of eleven matches played by the New Zealand national rugby union team in England, Scotland and Italy in October and November 1979. The tour was very successful as the team won ten of the eleven games, including the international matches against Scotland and England. The only team to defeat the All Blacks was the English Northern Division.

The Counties Manukau Rugby Football Union (CMRFU) is the governing body of rugby union in Southern Auckland and the Franklin district of New Zealand. Nicknamed the Steelers, their colours are red, white, and black horizontal bands. The Steelers moniker is a reference to the Glenbrook steel factory, which is in the area. The union is based in Pukekohe, and plays at Navigation Homes Stadium.

Luke Charles Whitelock is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays as a loose forward for Section Paloise (Pau) in France's Top 14 rugby competition.

The 1981 New Zealand rugby union tour of Romania and France was a series of ten matches played by the New Zealand national rugby union team in Romania and France in October and November 1981. The All Blacks won eight of the ten games, including the international match against Romania and both internationals against France. The only team to defeat the All Blacks was a French regional selection, and the All Blacks were also held to a draw by another regional team.

The 1977 New Zealand rugby union tour of Italy and France was a series of nine matches played by the New Zealand national rugby union team in Italy and France in October and November 1977. The All Blacks won eight of their nine games, losing only the first of the two internationals against France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Johnson (rugby union)</span> Rugby player

Peter George Johnson was an Australian international rugby union player. He enjoyed a long state and international career throughout the 1960s and made 92 national appearances for his country. He captained the Australian side in five Test matches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dalton Papalii</span> Rugby player

Dalton Reece Papalii ("Pa-pa-lee-e") is a New Zealander professional rugby union player who plays for Counties Manukau in the Mitre 10 Cup and the Blues in the Super Rugby competition. Papalii has also played international test match rugby for the All Blacks, making his debut in 2018. His position is flanker.

Selwyn George "Mick" Bremner is a former New Zealand rugby union player. A first and second five-eighth, Bremner represented Auckland, Wellington, Manawatu, and Canterbury at a provincial level. He was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, in 1952, 1956 and 1960. In 1952, he appeared in a single international, the second test against the touring Australians. Four years later, he made another test appearance, in the second-test loss to the touring Springboks. Bremner's third stint in the All Blacks was as a member of the touring party for the 1960 tour of Australia and South Africa. On that tour, he played 16 games, including six as captain, but did not appear in any of the test matches. He did not score any points in his 18 matches for the All Blacks.

References

  1. "All Blacks At The World Cup". AllBlacks.com. 26 November 2003. Archived from the original on 3 April 2007. Retrieved 25 January 2007.
Sporting positions
Preceded by All Blacks Captain
1982–1985
Succeeded by