Tony Woodcock (rugby union)

Last updated

Tony Woodcock
Tony Woodcock 2015.jpg
Birth nameTony Dale Woodcock
Date of birth (1981-01-27) 27 January 1981 (age 43)
Place of birth Helensville, New Zealand
Height1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) [1]
Weight120 kg (265 lb) [2]
School Kaipara College
SpouseTracey Woodcock
Children2
Rugby union career
Position(s) Loosehead prop
Provincial / State sides
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2000–2015 North Harbour 54 (10)
Correct as of 2 August 2011
Super Rugby
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2002–2015 Blues 137 (45)
2013 Highlanders 12 (5)
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2002–2015 New Zealand 118 (50)

Tony Dale Woodcock MNZM (born 27 January 1981) is a New Zealand former rugby union player. His position was loosehead prop, and he played 111 tests for the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks. Woodcock played for the All Blacks from 2002 to 2015, [3] scoring eight test tries. He was described by The Dominion Post as "widely regarded as the world's premier loosehead", [4] and by The New Zealand Herald as having the "best range of skills of any prop on the planet". [5] He is now the most capped All Black prop of all time, and is the second most capped player in Blues history, behind Keven Mealamu. He was a key member of the 2011 and 2015 Rugby World Cup winning squads, becoming one of only 20 players to have won multiple Rugby World Cups.

Contents

Club rugby

He played for Blues in Super Rugby, and for North Harbour in the ITM Cup (when available).

After 113 appearances for the Blues, he joined the Highlanders for the 2013 Super Rugby season. [6] However about a year later, after spending a year with the Highlanders who came 2nd to last in Super Rugby, Woodcock decided to return to the Blues where he would be closer to his family. He signed a 1-year contract. Woodcock has a reputation for playing as much rugby as possible. In 2005 he played in the first eleven of the twelve All Black test matches that year. From 2001 to 2004, he played in every match for North Harbour, except for the first two matches of 2004 due to being on All Black duty, and in 2002 and 2003, he played the full eighty minutes of every game for North Harbour.[ citation needed ] In 2006, he requested and received permission from the All Black coaching staff to return a week early from his enforced rest due to All Black duty[ citation needed ], to play in North Harbour's Ranfurly Shield challenge against Canterbury, a match that North Harbour won 21–17, making them the Ranfurly Shield holders for the first time.

All Blacks

Woodcock made his international debut for New Zealand on 23 November 2002 when he started against Wales at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Woodcock was one of six debutants that day and started alongside Blues teammates Keven Mealamu and Daniel Braid, the former of whom would go on to become a long-serving front-row partner to Woodcock. Woodcock played the full 80 minutes, something rare for a prop and the All Blacks beat Wales 43–17.[ citation needed ]

Woodcock did not play for the All Blacks again until 2004, a year when he started three times. Woodcock became a regular starter for New Zealand in 2005, starting in all three tests against the touring British and Irish Lions team, with the All Blacks failing to lose in all of those tests. Woodcock started in 10 of his 11 international appearances in 2005, and made 10 appearances for the All Blacks in 2006.

He was the first All Black prop to score a test try against Australia in 20 years[ citation needed ], when he scored the first try of his international career on 30 June 2007 against Australia in a 15–20 loss and another try against Australia the following week, when the All Blacks won 26–12. After his performances through the year, Woodcock was selected for the 2007 Rugby World Cup. Woodcock made started in four of his three appearances in the competition, the most notable being when he played the full 80 minutes[ citation needed ] of New Zealand's shock 18–20 loss to France in the quarter-final of the World Cup, eliminating them for the competition.

Woodcock was retained in the All Blacks in 2008 and on 2 August 2008, he became the first All Black prop to score two tries in a match (a rare feat for a prop against any side[ citation needed ]) against Australia in over 50 years. He had a heavy workload for the All Blacks in 2008, playing 12 tests for them that year.

Woodcock celebrated his 50th test to kick off his 2009 international rugby season, but it was unfortunately spoiled by losing 22–27 on the occasion, against France in Dunedin.

He scored New Zealand's only try in the 2011 Rugby World Cup final against France, [7] becoming the first All Black prop to score a try in a Rugby World Cup final, and only the second prop ever to do so.[ citation needed ]

He received his 100th cap for the All Blacks in a test match in Wellington against Australia on 24 August 2013. Woodcock was not subbed off, with replacement prop Wyatt Crockett instead replacing Sam Whitelock in the 27–15 win over Australia.

Woodcock was named in the 31-man squad for the 2015 Rugby World Cup, where he scored a try in a 47–9 victory against Tonga in the final pool match of the competition on 9 October. His 118 test-match career in rugby union unfortunately ended in the same match, when he was injured and replaced by Wyatt Crockett in the 43rd minute. Joe Moody was subsequently flown over to England from New Zealand, in order to replace Woodcock, who remained in the country and collected his winners' medal following New Zealand's 34–17 victory in the final against Australia's Wallabies.

In the 2016 New Year Honours, Woodcock was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to rugby. [8]

International tries

TryOpposing teamLocationVenueCompetitionDateResult
1Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Melbourne, Australia, Melbourne Cricket Ground, 2007 Tri Nations Series 30 June 2007Lost
2Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Auckland, New Zealand Eden Park 2007 Tri Nations Series 21 July 2007Won
3Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Auckland, New Zealand Eden Park 2008 Tri Nations Series 2 August 2008Won
4Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Auckland, New Zealand Eden Park 2008 Tri Nations Series 2 August 2008Won
5Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Brisbane, Australia Lang Park 2008 Tri Nations Series 13 September 2008Won
6Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa Auckland, New Zealand Eden Park 2010 Tri Nations Series 10 July 2010Won
7Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa Johannesburg, South Africa Soccer City 2010 Tri Nations Series 21 August 2010Won
8Flag of France.svg  France Auckland, New Zealand Eden Park 2011 Rugby World Cup 23 October 2011Won
9Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales Cardiff, Wales Millennium Stadium 2012 End of Year Tour 25 November 2012Won
10Flag of Tonga.svg  Tonga Newcastle, England St James' Park 2015 Rugby World Cup 9 October 2015Won

Other activities

Outside rugby, Woodcock has a deer farm near Kaukapakapa. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blues (Super Rugby)</span> NZ rugby union club, based in Auckland

The Blues are a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Auckland, who play in the Super Rugby competition. Like New Zealand's four other Super Rugby teams, the Blues were established by the NZRU in 1996. One of the most successful teams in Super Rugby history, the Blues won the competition in its first two seasons, 1996 and 1997, and again in 2003, as well as a Trans Tasman competition in 2021, additionally, the team were finalists in 1998 and 2022 and semi-finalists in 2007, 2011 and 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Wilson (sportsman)</span> New Zealand cricketer and rugby union player

Jeffrey William Wilson is a New Zealand sportsman who has represented his country in both rugby union and cricket – a so-called "Double All Black", an increasingly rare achievement in the professional era. He is also a basketballer, and won national secondary school titles in track and field. With 44 tries in 60 tests, Wilson is ranked thirteenth on the list of highest test try scorers in rugby. Wilson is married to Adine Wilson, former captain of the New Zealand national netball team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ma'a Nonu</span> New Zealand rugby union player

Ma'a Allan Nonu is a professional rugby union player from New Zealand who currently plays for the San Diego Legion in Major League Rugby (MLR). He plays in the inside centre, but can also cover outside centre and wing.

<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.

Clarke Dermody is a former New Zealand rugby union player who has gone on to coach professionally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerome Kaino</span> New Zealand rugby union player

Jerome Kaino is a former New Zealand rugby union player.

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

Adam Thomson is a New Zealand rugby union player. He represented the New Zealand All Blacks between 2008 and 2012, playing a total of 29 tests including two during the victorious 2011 Rugby World Cup campaign. He played for the Melbourne Rebels in 2016, having also played Super Rugby with the Queensland Reds (2015) and Highlanders (2006-2012). He has also represented the Canon Eagles in Japan's Top League and New Zealand province Otago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wyatt Crockett</span> Rugby player

Wyatt William Vogels Crockett is a former New Zealand rugby union player. He played at prop for the Crusaders in Super Rugby, Canterbury and Tasman in the National Provincial Championship, and the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks. Crockett has played in 202 Super Rugby fixtures and is the most-capped Super Rugby player of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Owen Franks</span> NZ international rugby union player

Owen Thomas Franks is a New Zealand rugby player who currently plays for Crusaders in the Super Rugby competition. His usual position is tighthead prop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Smith (rugby union)</span> New Zealand rugby union player, born 1986

Benjamin Robert Smith is a retired New Zealand rugby union player, currently working for Super Rugby side Highlanders' management team. He formerly played for the Highlanders in the Super Rugby competition, Otago in the ITM Cup, Pau in the Top 14 and Kobelco Steelers in the Japan Rugby League One.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Whitelock</span> New Zealand rugby union footballer

Samuel Lawrence Whitelock is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays as a lock for Pau in the Top 14 competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aaron Smith (rugby union)</span> Former NZ international rugby union player

Aaron Luke Smith is a New Zealand rugby union player. A scrum half, Smith plays for the Highlanders in Super Rugby where he is the club's all time leader in caps, and for Manawatu in the ITM Cup. He has won 124 caps for New Zealand and is their most-capped back.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waisake Naholo</span> Rugby player

Waisake Ratunideuba Naholo is a New Zealand rugby union player. He previously played for the All Blacks Sevens and on the wing position for London Irish. In May 2022 he signed with Rugby New York, who play in the Major League Rugby competition.

James William Parsons is a New Zealand retired Rugby union player who played as a hooker for the Blues in Super Rugby and North Harbour in the ITM Cup. He has also played two matches for the All Blacks. He is one of just 3 players that have ever become a Blues centurion and Player of the Year

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Codie Taylor</span> New Zealand rugby union player

Codie Joshua Dane Taylor is a New Zealand professional rugby union player, who currently plays as a hooker for the Crusaders in Super Rugby and is contracted to Canterbury for New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition. He represents New Zealand internationally.

In June 2013, France played a three-test series against New Zealand as part of the 2013 mid-year rugby test series. This was the sides' first encounter since they met in the 2011 Rugby World Cup final, which New Zealand won 8–7. It was France's first test series against the All Blacks since their 2009 two-test tour of New Zealand, which ended in a 1–1 draw.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tevita Li</span> New Zealand rugby union player

Tevita Li is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays as a wing for North Harbour in New Zealand's domestic Mitre 10 Cup and the Highlanders in the international Super Rugby competition.

Greg Pleasants-Tate is a New Zealand rugby union player who has played as a hooker for Bay of Plenty, North Harbour, Auckland, Canterbury and Southland in New Zealand's domestic Mitre 10 Cup and the Blues and Highlanders in the international Super Rugby competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karl Tu'inukuafe</span> Rugby player

George Zvi Karl Tu'inukuafe is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays for the Blues in Super Rugby, and for North Harbour in the Mitre 10 Cup. His position of choice is loosehead prop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ethan de Groot</span> New Zealand rugby union player

Ethan de Groot is a professional rugby union player who plays as a prop for Super Rugby club Highlanders. Born in Australia, he represents New Zealand at international level after qualifying on ancestry grounds. He is the son of Rodney and Nikkila de Groot.

References

  1. "Stats | allblacks.com".
  2. "Stats | allblacks.com".
  3. Gray, Wynne (3 August 2008). "Wynne Gray: Double cause to celebrate, and sexy to boot". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
  4. "Woodcock quietly confident". The Dominion Post. 4 July 2008. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
  5. Paul, Gregor (24 December 2006). "Gregor Paul: Rugby's world XV". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
  6. "Woodcock leaves Blues for Highlanders". Blues. 9 September 2012. Archived from the original on 12 September 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  7. Murray, Scott (23 October 2011). "Rugby World Cup final: New Zealand v France – as it happened". The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
  8. "New Year honours list 2016". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 31 December 2015. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  9. Gray, Wynne (4 June 2004). "The farmers in the front row". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 22 February 2010.