Mike Catt facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mike Catt
OBE

Catt in 2010
Birth name	Michael John Catt
Date of birth	(1971-09-17) 17 September 1971 (age 53)
Place of birth	Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight	13 st 8 lb (86 kg)
School	Grey High School
Rugby union career
Position(s) Fullback, Fly-half, Centre, Wing Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 1992–2004 Bath 227 (837) 2004–10 London Irish 76 (61) Correct as of 10 July 2014 Correct as of 10 July 2014 National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 1994–2007 England 75 (142) 1997–2001 British & Irish Lions 1 (0) Correct as of 10 July 2014 Teams coached Years Team 2008–2012 London Irish (Attack Coach) 2012–2015 England (Backs coach) 2016–2019 Italy (Attack coach) 2019–2024 Ireland (Attack coach) 2024–2025 NSW Waratahs (Attack coach)

Michael John Catt is a famous former rugby union player. He was born in South Africa on September 17, 1971. Mike Catt played for the England national rugby union team. He also played professionally for clubs like London Irish and Bath.

Catt played 75 international games for England. He reached two Rugby World Cup finals. England won the World Cup in 2003. He also played in the 2007 final. At 36 years old, he became the oldest player ever in a Rugby World Cup final. After retiring as a player, Mike Catt became a rugby coach. He has coached several teams, including the Ireland national rugby team. As of 2024, he is the Attack Coach for the NSW Waratahs.

Mike Catt's Early Life

Mike Catt was born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. This was on September 17, 1971. He went to Grey High School until 1989. He played rugby for Eastern Province there.

His mother was English, which allowed him to play for England later. He visited England as a student. At that time, South Africa's rugby team was banned from international games. This was due to the country's apartheid policy. After finishing school, Mike Catt moved to England.

Mike Catt's Club Rugby Career

Playing for Bath Rugby

Mike Catt joined Bath in 1992. He played his first game at age 21 against Nottingham R.F.C.. He helped Bath win the 1998 Heineken Cup Final against Brive. In 2004, Bath decided not to renew his contract. He then moved to London Irish.

Playing for London Irish

At London Irish, Mike Catt continued to play well. In May 2006, he was named Guinness Premiership Player of the Season. He also started coaching the backs for London Irish in 2007. He became the oldest player to play in an English Premiership final in May 2009. He was 37 years old at the time.

Mike Catt played his last club game on May 8, 2010. He was honored with the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2011. This award was for his great contributions to rugby.

Mike Catt's International Rugby Career

Playing for England

Mike Catt was a versatile player. He could play in many positions for England. These included fullback, fly-half, inside centre, and even wing. He was a key part of the England team that won the 2003 Rugby World Cup.

His first international game was against Wales. He came on as a substitute. His big moment came in the next game against Canada. He replaced an injured player and helped England win. This made him a popular player in English rugby.

Rugby World Cup Appearances

Catt was part of England's team that won the Grand Slam in 1995. He also played in the 1995 Rugby World Cup. In that tournament, he faced Jonah Lomu of the All Blacks. Lomu famously ran over him to score a try in the semi-final.

He was called up for the 1997 British Lions tour to South Africa. He played in the final test match. Mike Catt was also chosen for the 2003 World Cup squad. Many people were surprised by this choice. He played in pool games against Samoa and Uruguay.

In the quarter-final against Wales, Catt came on at half-time. His performance helped England win the game. He started the semi-final against France. In the final, he came on as a substitute in extra time. He helped England win the World Cup by kicking the ball out of bounds at the end.

Later International Games

In 2006, Mike Catt was called back to play for England. He played his first Test matches in two years during a tour to Australia. He captained England in the 2007 Six Nations game against France. England won that match 26–18. He also captained England in other games before the 2007 World Cup.

Catt was part of England's squad for the 2007 Rugby World Cup. He helped England reach the final for the second time in a row. He wrote his autobiography, "Landing on My Feet: My Story," after the World Cup. Mike Catt announced his retirement from international rugby on October 27, 2007. This was after England lost to South Africa in the World Cup final.

Mike Catt's Coaching Career

Mike Catt started coaching in 2008. He became the attack coach for London Irish. He was a player-coach until he fully retired from playing in 2010. He stayed with London Irish until 2012.

In 2012, Catt joined the England national team as a backs/attack coach. This was for their tour to South Africa. In December 2015, the new head coach, Eddie Jones, changed the coaching team.

In March 2016, Catt became part of the coaching staff for the Italy team. In June 2019, it was announced that Catt would join Andy Farrell's coaching team for Ireland. This happened after the 2019 Rugby World Cup. He was the attack coach for Ireland until 2024.

As of August 5, 2024, Mike Catt joined the NSW Waratahs as their Attack Coach.

Mike Catt's Rugby Honours

With Bath Rugby

• Premiership: 1992–93, 1993–94, 1995–96
• Anglo-Welsh Cup: 1994, 1995, 1996
• European Rugby Champions Cup: 1998

With England

• Six Nations: 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2003
• World Cup: 2003

With British & Irish Lions

• South Africa Tour: 1997 (Winner)
• Australia Tour: 2001 (Tourist)

With Ireland (as coach)

• Six Nations: 2023 (Grand Slam), 2024

See also

In Spanish: Mike Catt para niños