Tony Brown (rugby player)
Encyclopedia
Tony Eion Brown is a New Zealand rugby union
footballer, playing mainly at first five-eighth (fly half).
towns of Balclutha and Kaitangata, New Zealand
, but he moved to Dunedin
during his high school years, attending King's High School
and playing for Harbour Rugby Club.
in the 1995 NPC
, initially as a reserve with All Black-Manu Samoa international Stephen Bachop the first choice first five-eighth. Brown had a quick progression to first choice first five-eighth, starting ahead of Bachop in 1995 NPC
final.
With the launch of the Super 12 in 1996, Brown was rewarded with a place in the first ever Highlanders squad. With Bachop also selected in the Highlanders for 1996 it meant more time on the reserves for Brown. He made his debut in round two against Transvaal, starting at second five-eighth and scoring a try and two conversions. Brown went on to play four more matches in his debut Super 12 playing mainly at second five-eighth. Brown went on to play 71 matches for Otago
and 83 for the Highlanders before taking up a contract to play for the Sanyo Wild Knights
in the Japanese Top League
in 2005.
in 1999, making his debut in a match against New Zealand A on 11 June, before making his international debut against Samoa
at Albany Stadium exactly a week later. Brown played a total of 18 test matches, scoring 171 test points (mostly with the boot, although he did score five tries) between then and his final test against Australia in August 2001. His international career included matches for New Zealand at the 1999 Rugby World Cup
.
Brown's goal-kicking feats enabled him to score over 30 points in three separate internationals (against Italy in 1999, Samoa in 2000, and Tonga in 2001) – the only player to have achieved this. Despite this he was never a member of the regular starting line-up, the fly-half position being held by Andrew Mehrtens
during that period.
in the Top League
in Japan.
In the 2005–07 season he played in eight games and scored 98 points.
In the 2006–07 season he played in ten games and scored 145 points.
In the 2007-08 Top League (fifth season) he played 12 times and helped Sanyo to an unbeaten run of 13 wins in the season (the first time this had been achieved), to runner-up in the Microsoft Cup
and All-Japan champion. He was the third highest points scorer with 137, and voted unanimously to the stand off slot in the Best Fifteen of the league. He was voted MVP by the fans in a J Sports poll.
He also played in friendlies for the Classic All Blacks against Japan XVs on 9 and 12 May 2007 and intends to return to Sanyo for the 2008–09 season.
in South Africa with the Sharks.
He will return to South Africa for the 2008 Super 14 season, having signed with the Stormers
.
. He underwent successful life-saving surgery, which left his future rugby playing career in doubt. However, he recovered and returned to playing for Sanyo.
Brown was a key player in the Highlanders 26 18 upset win over the then 6 game undefeated Crusaders. Being on the eve of the 2011 Rugby World Cup the All Blacks were on look out for a back up first five to Daniel Carter, and with Browns recent form he had become a potential candidate for that position. If that were to ring true it would be more than ten years since Brown last played for the All Blacks. However the call up never came and Brown was later named as captain of Otago for the 2011 ITM Cup season
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
footballer, playing mainly at first five-eighth (fly half).
Early life
Brown's early life was spent in the South OtagoSouth Otago
South Otago lies in the south east of the South Island of New Zealand. As the name suggests, it forms the southernmost part of the geographical region of Otago....
towns of Balclutha and Kaitangata, New Zealand
Kaitangata, New Zealand
Kaitangata is a town near the coast of South Otago, New Zealand, on the left bank of the Clutha River ten kilometres south east of Balclutha. The town is known to its residents simply as Kai....
, but he moved to Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
during his high school years, attending King's High School
King's High School, Dunedin
King's High School is a state single-sex boys' secondary school in Dunedin, New Zealand. It is located at the southern end of the city close to the boundary between the suburbs of South Dunedin, St. Clair and Forbury, next to the parallel single-sex girls' school, Queen's High School...
and playing for Harbour Rugby Club.
Club career
Brown made his debut for OtagoOtago Rugby Football Union
The Otago Rugby Football Union is the official governing body of rugby union for the Otago Region of New Zealand. The union is based in the city of Dunedin, and its home ground is Forsyth Barr Stadium. The top representative team competes in the ITM Cup, New Zealand's top provincial...
in the 1995 NPC
National Provincial Championship
The National Provincial Championship, or NPC, is the major domestic rugby competition in New Zealand. The NPC has seen many alterations to its format and brand. Since 2006 the National Championship has been split into 2 competitions, the ITM Cup and the Heartland Championship...
, initially as a reserve with All Black-Manu Samoa international Stephen Bachop the first choice first five-eighth. Brown had a quick progression to first choice first five-eighth, starting ahead of Bachop in 1995 NPC
National Provincial Championship
The National Provincial Championship, or NPC, is the major domestic rugby competition in New Zealand. The NPC has seen many alterations to its format and brand. Since 2006 the National Championship has been split into 2 competitions, the ITM Cup and the Heartland Championship...
final.
With the launch of the Super 12 in 1996, Brown was rewarded with a place in the first ever Highlanders squad. With Bachop also selected in the Highlanders for 1996 it meant more time on the reserves for Brown. He made his debut in round two against Transvaal, starting at second five-eighth and scoring a try and two conversions. Brown went on to play four more matches in his debut Super 12 playing mainly at second five-eighth. Brown went on to play 71 matches for Otago
Otago Rugby Football Union
The Otago Rugby Football Union is the official governing body of rugby union for the Otago Region of New Zealand. The union is based in the city of Dunedin, and its home ground is Forsyth Barr Stadium. The top representative team competes in the ITM Cup, New Zealand's top provincial...
and 83 for the Highlanders before taking up a contract to play for the Sanyo Wild Knights
Sanyo Wild Knights
Panasonic Wild Knights is a Japanese rugby union team based in Ōta city, Gunma prefecture which plays in the Top League. Inspired by Tony Brown at fly half , it dominated the league in the fifth season and was the first team to be unbeaten throughout a Top League season.All-Japan Champions:...
in the Japanese Top League
Top League
The Top League is a professional rugby union league created by the Japan Rugby Football Union to drive up the overall standard and popularity of the sport in the country and improve the results of the Japan national rugby union team. The first season was 2003-04 and featured 12 teams...
in 2005.
All Black
Brown was first picked for the All BlacksAll Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
in 1999, making his debut in a match against New Zealand A on 11 June, before making his international debut against Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
at Albany Stadium exactly a week later. Brown played a total of 18 test matches, scoring 171 test points (mostly with the boot, although he did score five tries) between then and his final test against Australia in August 2001. His international career included matches for New Zealand at the 1999 Rugby World Cup
1999 Rugby World Cup
The 1999 Rugby World Cup was the fourth Rugby World Cup, and the first to be held in rugby union's professional era. The principal host nation was Wales, although the majority of matches were played outside the country, shared between England, France, Scotland and Ireland...
.
Brown's goal-kicking feats enabled him to score over 30 points in three separate internationals (against Italy in 1999, Samoa in 2000, and Tonga in 2001) – the only player to have achieved this. Despite this he was never a member of the regular starting line-up, the fly-half position being held by Andrew Mehrtens
Andrew Mehrtens
Andrew Philip Mehrtens MNZM is a New Zealand rugby union footballer, currently playing in France for Béziers, a club in the third-level Fédérale 1 league...
during that period.
Japan
He went on to play three seasons (2005–06, 2006–07 and 2007–08) for the Sanyo Wild KnightsSanyo Wild Knights
Panasonic Wild Knights is a Japanese rugby union team based in Ōta city, Gunma prefecture which plays in the Top League. Inspired by Tony Brown at fly half , it dominated the league in the fifth season and was the first team to be unbeaten throughout a Top League season.All-Japan Champions:...
in the Top League
Top League
The Top League is a professional rugby union league created by the Japan Rugby Football Union to drive up the overall standard and popularity of the sport in the country and improve the results of the Japan national rugby union team. The first season was 2003-04 and featured 12 teams...
in Japan.
In the 2005–07 season he played in eight games and scored 98 points.
In the 2006–07 season he played in ten games and scored 145 points.
In the 2007-08 Top League (fifth season) he played 12 times and helped Sanyo to an unbeaten run of 13 wins in the season (the first time this had been achieved), to runner-up in the Microsoft Cup
Microsoft Cup
The Microsoft Cup is a knock-out Japanese rugby union tournament sponsored by Microsoft Japan, first played in February 2004. For the first three seasons the top eight teams of the Top League participated and it was a separate competition to the Top League, but in 2007 this was cut to the top four...
and All-Japan champion. He was the third highest points scorer with 137, and voted unanimously to the stand off slot in the Best Fifteen of the league. He was voted MVP by the fans in a J Sports poll.
He also played in friendlies for the Classic All Blacks against Japan XVs on 9 and 12 May 2007 and intends to return to Sanyo for the 2008–09 season.
South Africa
In 2006 Brown also played Super 14Super 14
Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
in South Africa with the Sharks.
He will return to South Africa for the 2008 Super 14 season, having signed with the Stormers
Stormers
The Stormers, for sponsorship reasons referred to as DHL Stormers, are a South African rugby union team based in Cape Town competing in the Super Rugby competition . Despite their lack of silverware over the years, their home stadium, Newlands, typically draws the highest average attendance figures...
.
2008 injury
In October 2008, Brown suffered a freak injury while playing in Japan, which left him with a ruptured pancreasPancreas
The pancreas is a gland organ in the digestive and endocrine system of vertebrates. It is both an endocrine gland producing several important hormones, including insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin, as well as a digestive organ, secreting pancreatic juice containing digestive enzymes that assist...
. He underwent successful life-saving surgery, which left his future rugby playing career in doubt. However, he recovered and returned to playing for Sanyo.
2011 Return to the Highlanders
Brown was drafted into the squad as a reserve from the wider training squad for the match against the defending champions the Bulls. Coming on in the second half, he made a stellar contribution, converting 3 tries and kicking a crucial penalty.Brown was a key player in the Highlanders 26 18 upset win over the then 6 game undefeated Crusaders. Being on the eve of the 2011 Rugby World Cup the All Blacks were on look out for a back up first five to Daniel Carter, and with Browns recent form he had become a potential candidate for that position. If that were to ring true it would be more than ten years since Brown last played for the All Blacks. However the call up never came and Brown was later named as captain of Otago for the 2011 ITM Cup season