Grant Fox

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Grant Fox
MBE
Fox in 2018
Birth nameGrant James Fox
Date of birth (1962-06-16) 16 June 1962 (age 61)
Place of birthNew Plymouth, New Zealand
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[1]
Weight72 kg (11 st 5 lb)[1]
SchoolAuckland Grammar School
UniversityUniversity of Auckland
Notable relative(s)Ryan Fox (son)
Gregory Wallace (brother-in-law)
Merv Wallace (father-in-law)
Rugby union career
Position(s)
First five-eighth
Provincial / State sides
Years Team Apps (Points)
1982–93
Auckland
 189 (2746)
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1984–93 New Zealand 46 (645)
Coaching career
Years Team
1999–2003
Auckland
Blues

Grant James Fox

All Blacks team that won the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987. He is also the father of professional golfer, Ryan Fox. Fox holds the world record for most points scored in a Rugby World Cup tournament of 126 in the 1987 Rugby World Cup
. He also holds the world record for most conversions in one world cup tournament of 30 also from the same 1987 cup.

Playing career

Fox was born in

Auckland Grammar
school.

During his time with the

fly-half), and was the main goalkicker for the All Blacks. He amassed 645 points from 46 All Black test matches (1 try, 118 conversions, 128 penalties, 7 drop goals). He is considered a true pioneer of the modern art of goal kicking,[2] in particular the technicalities of leaning the ball forward, which has been adopted by world class kickers since. Many believe he is one of the greatest first five-eighths in All Blacks' history,[1] even though he was not a great runner with the ball in hand.[2]

Despite his relatively short height, he made up for this with fantastic distribution skills reinforced by his long-term colleague John Kirwan's then-world-record career statistics playing outside him for Auckland and the All Blacks. His inability to score tries was often a joking point in the team – his cause not helped by an overruled attempt against Ireland in 1989 (due to a prior technical infringement by a teammate).[1]

Fox was a member of the

NZRFU tour in 1985. For participating in the rebel tour Fox was banned from selection in the All Blacks for three tests.[3]

The highlight of Fox's career was winning the inaugural

Rugby World Cup
with New Zealand in 1987, a victory based in part on his accurate kicking.

Fox was selected as one of the “Five players of the year” for the 1984, 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1993 seasons, in the Rugby Almanack of New Zealand.

Coaching and broadcasting

In the 1995 New Year Honours, Fox was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire, for services to rugby.[4]

Fox remained an integral part of his

NPC
seasons.

Fox is now a commentator on Sky Sports, NBC Sports and in the EA Sports rugby union series.

Fox provided commentary on the Rugby World Cup on ABC in 1995, with Al Michaels in 1999 and 2003 and Mike Tirico in 2007.

Fox is currently a selector with the New Zealand All Blacks (2011–present)

References

  1. ^ a b c d Grant Fox at AllBlacks.com
  2. ^ a b "Grant Fox | Rugby Union | Players and Officials". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  3. ISBN 978-1785780271
    .
  4. ^ "No. 53894". The London Gazette (2nd supplement). 31 December 1994. p. 34.

External links

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