In the context of rugby, a bolter is a choice that most people didn’t expect to be made. Bolter players typically have little to no international experience, but they provide something special to the team and may be relatively unknown to the opposition. Rugby supporters can book France Rugby World Cup Tickets on our website at exclusively discounted prices.
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Some bolters posed risks and rapidly vanished from the public consciousness. Others rise to fame and even become legends.
1987: Michael Jones
Jones was the youngest forward chosen for the first Rugby World Cup team. He had only played eight games for Auckland, one for Western Samoa in the year 1986, and two All-Black tests when he was chosen as one of four flankers for the competition, fending off competition from Brent Pope and Paul Renton, two older and superior opponents.
Rarely has a player established such a strong impact in the initial year as an All-Black, according to the 1988 Rugby Almanack. In the All Blacks’ opening-round 70-6 thrashing of Italy at Eden Park, Jones scored the tournament’s first solo try on the openside.
Jones quickly made a name for himself as one of the finest players at the competition thanks to his speed, remarkable anticipation, excellent tackling, and all-around athleticism. At Eden Park, he scored the opening try in the All Blacks’ 29-9 victory against France in the Rugby World Cup final. For more about Rugby World Cup Final Tickets.
In addition, the “Iceman” player scored the opening try of the 1991 Rugby World Cup. After participating in 55 Tests, he decided to leave international rugby in 1998.
1991: Jason Hewitt
While Jason Hewitt represented New Zealand Secondary Schools in 1986, he didn’t exactly make a splash in his early ventures into first-class rugby. Between 1988 and 1990, he participated in 25 games for Manawatu, the majority of which were in the second tier.
Hewitt moved north and made a bigger impact when talented Auckland halfback Brett Iti converted to the league in 1990. Nevertheless, his selection for the 1991 Rugby World Cup was unexpected. Hewitt participated in the group triumph over Italy (31-21).
The other halfbacks on the team were Graeme Bachop and Jon Preston, who both played the first five. Hewitt never again represented the All Blacks, but he did assist Auckland in winning NPC championships in 1993 and 1994.
1995: Jonah Lomu
When Lomu was chosen to play versus France in Christchurch in 1994, he was the youngest All-Black Test player at the age of 19 years and 45 days. A week later in Auckland, he was kept, but the All Blacks lost both games, therefore Lomu was benched for the rest of the campaign.
Earle Kirton, a selector and former All-Black, insisted on choosing Lomu for the 1995 Rugby World Cup despite Laurie Mains’ reluctance, and his persistence paid off. In five outings, Lomu racked up a tournament-high seven tries.
The most well-known individual display in Rugby World Cup history was his four tries versus England in the semifinal. You can book your Rugby World Cup Semi Finals Tickets.
1999: Dylan Mika
The strong loose forward participated in seven Tests for Samoa in 1994 and 1995, which prevented him from being selected for the All Blacks for three years. He made 23 appearances for the Blues from 1996 to 1998 before being selected by the Chiefs in the 1999 NFL Draught.
He alternated between the six and the eight position, frequently leading the Hamilton-based team as he broke into the All Blacks. In the 1999 Tri Nations, the All Blacks used him twice as a substitute against Australia and South Africa, and he performed well enough to be selected for the Rugby World Cup team.
Mika started the pool-play victory over Italy (101-3) and took Reuben Thorne’s place in the third-place match versus South Africa (18-22).
2003: Corey Flynn
When Corey Flynn was chosen for the All Blacks Rugby World Cup squad in 2003, he had only played one NPC game for Canterbury in 2002 and was Mark Hammett’s backup at the Crusaders. Flynn performed admirably, playing in decisive victories over Canada (68-6) and Tonga (91-7), the latter of which he scored a try.
Up until 2011, Flynn would go on to play 15 Test matches. Between 2001 and 2017, he amassed an incredible 289 first-class games. The impressive individual accomplishments of Joe Rokocoko from the 2003 season are perhaps the most cherished in memory.
Despite not representing Auckland in the NPC, he still managed to score a record 17 tries in a single year. He participated in 13 games and contributed six tries to the successful Blues Super Rugby squad.
2007: Brendon Leonard
Despite receiving little recognition in the age-level representative system, the halfback was selected for the All Blacks in 2007 at the age of 22. He began playing for Waikato in 2005 after excelling at the club level with Morrinsville Sports. In 2007, he was awarded a Super Rugby contract due to his outstanding play.
Léonard was a member of the All Blacks for Test matches over France, South Africa, and Australia despite the Chiefs finishing just sixth in Super Rugby 2007. He was unexpectedly chosen for the Rugby World Cup team instead of the more seasoned halfbacks Piri Weepu and Jimmy Cowan.
Leonard participated in all five Rugby World Cup games, with his lone start coming in the 108-13 thrashing of Portugal during pool play.
2011: Stephen Donald
At the Rugby World Cup in 2011, the All Blacks number ten jersey served as a poisoned chalice. Aaron Cruden was given the starting spot for the finals since Daniel Carter and Colin Slade were injured during the group round. When Cruden got hurt during the championship game versus France, Donald took his place on the pitch.
Donald was released from the All Blacks less than a year prior to the defeat to Australia in Hong Kong. Donald missed numerous calls from coach Sir Graham Henry informing him of his selection since he was fly fishing on the Waikato River when he learned of it.
In the championship game, Donald had trouble getting into the form-fitting jersey. He made a crucial penalty kick in the 32nd minute that led to an 8-7 victory. Donald developed to become a sort of cult figure. A movie called “The Kick” was made about his Rugby World Cup exploits, and he is currently a sports commentator.
Richard Kahui deserves a special note. Kahui, who is more commonly a centre, was chosen as a winger instead of the explosive Hosea Gear. Prior to the competition, Kahui had taken part in a single of the five All Blacks test matches, an 18-5 loss to Springbok.
2015: Nehe Milner-Skudder
The quick-footed winger initially hoped to get his start in professional rugby league by helping the Bulldogs win the NRL Under 20 Premiership. He turned to rugby in 2011.
Although his early growth was limited by injuries. He excelled for Manawat in the NPC in 2014, earning a Super Rugby contract. He was a revelation in his debut season with the Hurricanes, playing in 15 of 18 games as they advanced to their first final since 2006.
He was selected for the test matches against Australia before the Rugby World Cup despite being overlooked by the All Blacks in the early stages of the Rugby Championship. He managed two tries in a 27-19 defeat in Sydney, which was enough to keep him in the lineup for a 41-13 triumph the following week at Eden Park.
He participated in six games and scored six tries during the Rugby World Cup, including the first try versus Australia in the All Blacks’ first-ever title defence. Milner-Skudder was named one of the competition’s top players by The Guardian.
2019: Sevu Reece
Due to Manasa Mataele’s season-ending injury, the Fijian winger only signed with the Crusaders for Super Rugby in 2019 after Round 2. In his first season, the 22-year-old showed why he was such a hot commodity, achieving 15 tries in 14 games to help the Crusaders win their third straight championship.
Before the Rugby World Cup, he was selected for three Test matches for the All Blacks, earning tries over Australia and Tonga. He was the youngest All-Black at the Rugby World Cup, but he started four of the team’s six games and scored two tries as the All-Blacks placed third.
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