Leon MacDonald

{{Infobox rugby biography

| name = Leon MacDonald

| image =

| birth_name = Leon Raymond MacDonald

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1977|12|21|df=y}}

| birth_place = Blenheim, New Zealand

| height = {{height|m=1.81}}

| weight = {{convert|96|kg|lb|abbr=on}}

| ru_position = Fullback, Centre, First five-eighth

| years1 = 1994–1996

| years2 = 1996–2006

| years3 = 1997–2009

| years4 = 1998

| years5 = 2004

| years6 = 2009–2010

| clubs1 = Marlborough

| clubs2 = Canterbury

| clubs3 = Crusaders

| clubs4 = Chiefs

| clubs5 = Yamaha Jubilo

| clubs6 = Kintetsu Liners

| apps1 = 33

| apps2 = 37

| apps3 = 122

| apps4 = 5

| apps5 =

| points1 = 62

| points2 = 48

| points3 = 327

| points4 = 23

| points5 =

| ru_clubupdate = 3 May 2025

| repyears1 = 1997

| repyears2 = 1998–2005

| repyears3 = 2000–2008

| repteam1 = New Zealand Colts

| repteam2 = New Zealand Māori

| repteam3 = New Zealand

| repcaps1 = 5

| repcaps2 = 4

| repcaps3 = 56

| reppoints1 = 2

| reppoints2 = 15

| reppoints3 = 141

| ru_ntupdate = 23 November 2018

| super1 =

| superapps1 =

| superpoints1 =

| superyears1 =

| super14update =

| province1 =

| provinceyears1 =

| provinceapps1 =

| provincepoints1 =

| ru_provinceupdate =

| coachyears1 = 2010–2015

| coachyears2 = 2016–2018

| coachyears3 = 2017

| coachyears4 = 2019–2023

| coachyears5 = 2024

| coachyears6 = 2025

| coachteams1 = Tasman (assistant)

| coachteams2 = Tasman

| coachteams3 = Crusaders (assistant)

| coachteams4 = Blues

| coachteams5 = New Zealand (assistant)

| coachteams6 = Western Force (consultant)

| ru_coachupdate = 3 May 2025

| occupation =

| spouse = Hayley Brownlee

| children =

| relatives = Jack Macdonald
Lynne Macdonald
Hoani MacDonald
Jamie Joseph

| school = Marlborough Boys' College

}}

Leon Raymond MacDonald (born 21 December 1977) is a retired New Zealand rugby union footballer, and former head coach for the Auckland Blues rugby team, who played 56 tests for the national team, the All Blacks.{{cite web|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/sport/3264264/MacDonald-confirmed-in-coach-role|title=MacDonald confirmed in coach role |last=Knowler|first=Richard|date=27 January 2010|work=The Press |access-date=15 February 2010}} He played as a first five-eighth (fly-half), centre, and fullback. He is currently a coaching consultant with the Western Force.https://westernforce.rugby/news/force-worldclass-addition-macdonald-appointment-2025218

Career

Born in Blenheim, MacDonald made his provincial debut for Marlborough against Buller in 1994. He played 122 matches for the Crusaders and seven for the Chiefs in the Super 14,{{cite news|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10622362|title=Rugby: MacDonald to help coach Tasman|date=26 January 2010|work=The New Zealand Herald|access-date=15 February 2010}} and played for Canterbury in the National Provincial Championship. He was 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 played 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 appeared for New Zealand Māori, playing three games and scoring 10 points, including the winning try against the British and Irish Lions in 2005 in Hamilton.{{cite news|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10330068&pnum=0|title=NZ Maori create history in Hamilton|last=Boughey|first=Steve|date=11 June 2005|work=The New Zealand Herald|access-date=15 February 2010}}

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 the last time he played at centre. In 2005, he was shifted to first five-eighth during the Tri-Nations to cover for the injured Daniel Carter.

=Japan=

In 2004 season, MacDonald played for Yamaha Jubilo in Japan.{{cite news|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10331461&pnum=0|title=Orient Express is back on track|last=Smith |first=Louise |date=19 June 2005|work=The New Zealand Herald|access-date=15 February 2010}} 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.

=All Blacks=

MacDonald was appointed as an assistant coach for the All Blacks in 2024, a specialising in the attack area for the All Blacks. After five tests in the role, two of which were rugby championship games, MacDonald decided to resign and left his role due to having differing views with the head coach Scott Robertson.

=Western Force=

In February 2025 MacDonald was appointed as a coaching consultant to the Western Force.https://westernforce.rugby/news/force-worldclass-addition-macdonald-appointment-2025218

Cricket

He has also played for Marlborough in the Hawke Cup when they won it in the 1993–94 season.

References

External links

{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081021104605/http://www.crfu.co.nz/main/index.cfm/1,80,295,0,html/Leon-MacDonald |date=dmy |title=Crusaders profile}}
{{All Blacks|new_id=Leon-MacDonald-AB-995|old_id=560}}
{{ESPNscrum}}

Category:1977 births

Category:Living people

Category:New Zealand international rugby union players

Category:Māori All Blacks players

Category:New Zealand rugby union players

Category:Canterbury rugby union players

Category:Crusaders (rugby union) players

Category:Chiefs (Super Rugby) players

Category:Rangitāne people

Category:Rugby union fly-halves

Category:Rugby union centres

Category:Rugby union fullbacks