Daniel David Lee (born 1 March 1976) is a former New Zealand international
rugby union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
player who played as a
halfback.
Lee played for the
Hurricanes
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...
,
Chiefs, the
Highlanders Super 14 and
Hawke's Bay
Hawke's Bay ( mi, Te Matau-a-Māui) is a local government region on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island. The region's name derives from Hawke Bay, which was named by Captain James Cook in honour of Admiral Edward Hawke. The region is ...
in the
Air New Zealand Cup
The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing for ...
. In 2007 he joined the
Blues
Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...
in New Zealand.
In June 2009 Lee joined the
Newport Gwent Dragons
Dragons RFC ( cy, Dreigiau) are one of the four professional rugby union regional teams in Wales. They are owned by the Welsh Rugby Union and play their home games at Rodney Parade, Newport and at other grounds around the region. They play in ...
in Wales on a two-year contract. In November 2010, after a series of injuries, Lee announced his retirement from rugby having made just 12 appearances for Newport Gwent Dragons.
Lee played two test matches for the
All Blacks
The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987 ...
in 2002.
Coaching career
After retiring from professional rugby, Lee became a rugby coach. He coached
Hawke's Bay
Hawke's Bay ( mi, Te Matau-a-Māui) is a local government region on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island. The region's name derives from Hawke Bay, which was named by Captain James Cook in honour of Admiral Edward Hawke. The region is ...
from 2011 to 2017, and then
Mie Honda Heat
Mie Honda Heat is a Japanese rugby union team based in Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture, Japan. The owner of the club is Honda Motor. (Suzuka is known for the Suzuka Circuit and the presence of car companies.)
They play in the Japan Rugby League On ...
until 2021. As of 2022, Lee currently coaches the
San Diego Legion
The San Diego Legion is an American professional rugby union team based in San Diego, California. The team was founded in 2017 and competes in Major League Rugby.
Home field
The team plays at Snapdragon Stadium, which is located on the campus o ...
rugby team.
References
External links
Newport Gwent Dragons profile*
1976 births
New Zealand international rugby union players
Living people
New Zealand rugby union players
New Zealand rugby union coaches
Highlanders (rugby union) players
Hurricanes (rugby union) players
Chiefs (rugby union) players
Blues (Super Rugby) players
Dragons RFC players
People educated at Hastings Boys' High School
Counties Manukau rugby union players
Hawke's Bay rugby union players
Otago rugby union players
New Zealand expatriate rugby union players
Expatriate rugby union players in Wales
New Zealand expatriate sportspeople in Wales
Rugby union players from Hastings, New Zealand
Rugby union scrum-halves
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