Grant Fox facts for kids
Fox in 2018
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| Birth name | Grant James Fox | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 16 June 1962 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | New Plymouth, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 72 kg (11 st 5 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Auckland Grammar School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | University of Auckland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable relative(s) | Ryan Fox (son) Gregory Wallace (brother-in-law) Merv Wallace (father-in-law) |
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| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Grant James Fox is a famous former rugby union player from New Zealand. He was born on June 16, 1962. Grant Fox was a key member of the All Blacks, New Zealand's national rugby team.
He helped the All Blacks win the very first Rugby World Cup in 1987. Grant Fox holds world records for the most points (126) and most conversions (30) scored in a single Rugby World Cup tournament, both achieved in 1987. He is also the father of professional golfer, Ryan Fox.
Contents
Playing Rugby for New Zealand
Grant Fox was born in New Plymouth, New Zealand. He went to Auckland Grammar School.
His Role as a Fly-Half
From 1985 to 1993, Grant Fox played for the All Blacks. He wore the number 10 jersey, which is the position of fly-half. The fly-half is like the quarterback in American football; they direct the team's attacks and often do the goal-kicking.
Fox was the main goal-kicker for the All Blacks. He scored a huge 645 points in 46 international matches. These points came from tries, conversions, penalties, and drop goals. He was known for his special way of kicking goals, which many other top kickers later copied.
A Top Player Despite Challenges
Even though Grant Fox was not very tall, he was an amazing player. He was excellent at passing the ball to his teammates. He played alongside John Kirwan, who was also a very famous player.
Fox was not known for scoring many tries himself. This was often a joke within the team!
The 1986 Tour
In 1986, Grant Fox was part of a group of New Zealand rugby players called the New Zealand Cavaliers. They toured South Africa when the official New Zealand tour was cancelled. Because he joined this tour, Fox was not allowed to play for the All Blacks for three matches.
Winning the World Cup
The biggest moment in Grant Fox's career was winning the first-ever Rugby World Cup in 1987. His accurate kicking was a big reason for New Zealand's victory. He was recognized as one of the "Five players of the year" multiple times during his career.
After Playing: Coaching and Commentating
After his playing career, Grant Fox continued to be involved in rugby.
Awards and Coaching
In 1995, Grant Fox was given the title of Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). This award recognized his great contributions to rugby.
He also became a coach for his local team, Auckland. He helped them win championships in 1999 and again from 2002 to 2003.
Sports Commentator
Today, Grant Fox is a well-known sports commentator. You can hear his voice on Sky Sports and NBC Sports. He has also provided commentary for the EA Sports rugby video game series.
He has covered many Rugby World Cup tournaments as a commentator, including those in 1995, 1999, 2003, and 2007. Since 2011, he has also been a selector for the New Zealand All Blacks team, helping to choose the players.
See also
In Spanish: Grant Fox para niños
