| Birth name | Leon Raymond MacDonald | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | (1977-12-21)21 December 1977 (age 47) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Blenheim, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft11+1⁄2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 96 kg (212 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Marlborough Boys' College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable relative(s) | Jack Macdonald Lynne Macdonald Hoani MacDonald Jamie Joseph | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Leon Raymond MacDonald (born 21 December 1977) is a retired New Zealandrugby union footballer, and former head coach for theAuckland Blues rugby team, who played 56 tests for the national team, theAll Blacks.[1] He played as afirst five-eighth (fly-half),centre, andfullback. He is currently a coaching consultant with theWestern Force.[2]
Born inBlenheim, MacDonald made his provincial debut for Marlborough against Buller in 1994. He played 122 matches for theCrusaders and seven for theChiefs in theSuper 14,[3] and played forCanterbury in theNational 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'sReunion awarded him the Crusader's MVP title for their Super 14 title-winning season.
He played for Burnside in theChristchurch premier competition. He made hisAll Blacks debut age 22, versusScotland 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 forNew Zealand Māori, playing three games and scoring 10 points, including the winning try against theBritish and Irish Lions in 2005 in Hamilton.[4]
In the2003 Rugby World Cup, he was shifted from fullback to centre by All Blacks backline coachRobbie 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.
In 2004 season, MacDonald played forYamaha Jubilo in Japan.[5] He played forKintetsu Liners in Japan in the 2009–2010 season.[1] 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 theTasman Makos for the 2010 season.
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 coachScott Robertson.
In February 2025 MacDonald was appointed as a coaching consultant to the Western Force.[6]
He has also played for Marlborough in theHawke Cup when they won it in the1993–94 season.[5]
