Richard Fou'a Mo'unga (born 25 May 1994) is a

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

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 currently plays as a

first five-eighth In the game of rugby union, there are 15 players on each team, comprising eight forwards (wearing jerseys numbered 1–8) and seven backs (numbered 9–15). In addition, there may be up to eight replacement players "on the bench", numbered 16– ...

for in the

Bunnings NPC Bunnings Group Limited, trading as Bunnings Warehouse or Bunnings, is an Australian household hardware chain. The chain has been owned by Wesfarmers since 1994, and has stores in Australia and New Zealand. Bunnings was founded in Perth, Wester ...

, the in

Super Rugby Super Rugby is a men's professional rugby union club competition involving teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. It previously included teams from Argentina, Japan, and South Africa. Building on various Southern Hem ...

, and the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks.

Early life

Mo'unga was born in Christchurch, to a Tongan-born father and a Samoan-born mother. He was initially educated at

Riccarton High School Riccarton High School is a state co-educational secondary school located in Upper Riccarton, a suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand. With a roll of students, it is one of the five largest secondary schools in Christchurch. History The Governme ...

in his hometown before being offered a scholarship at St. Andrew's College where he played U15 in 2009 then first 15 rugby for 3 years and captained them in his senior year (2012). After graduating college, he began playing for Linwood in the local Canterbury senior club rugby competition while at the same time being a member of the Academy.

Playing career

Early career

He was not named as a full member of Canterbury's squad for the 2013 ITM Cup, but in what was just his first year out of school, he was called up to cover injuries and

All Black 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, ...

absences and went on to make 8 appearances during the campaign which finished with Canterbury defeating in the Premiership final. He was upgraded to a full squad member in

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

and played in 10 matches, featuring both at first five-eighth and fullback as Canterbury fell in the tournament's semifinal stage. Mo'unga was a member of the New Zealand Under 20 side, which finished 3rd in the

2014 IRB Junior World Championship The 2014 IRB Junior World Championship was the seventh annual international rugby union competition for Under 20 national teams. The event was organised in Auckland, New Zealand by rugby's governing body, World Rugby, then known as the Internation ...

in New Zealand, where he scored 29 points in 5 games. He again made 10 appearances as Canterbury regained their ITM Cup Premiership title in

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...

with a 50-20 win over Springboks in the final. As a result of his excellent domestic showings for Canterbury, Mo'unga was named in the Wider Training Group for the

2015 Super Rugby season The 2015 Super Rugby season was the 20th season of Super Rugby and the fifth season featuring an expanded 15-team format. For sponsorship reasons, this competition was known as Asteron Life Super Rugby in Australia, Investec Super Rugby in New ...

. However due to the presence of the likes of

Dan Carter Daniel William Carter (born 5 March 1982) is a retired New Zealand rugby union player. Carter played for Crusaders (Super Rugby) in New Zealand and played for New Zealand's national team, the All Blacks. He is the highest point scorer in ...

Colin Slade Colin Richard Slade (born 10 October 1987) is a retired New Zealand professional rugby union player. He played primarily at first five-eighth, as well as all other backline positions on occasions. He was first selected for the All Blacks in 200 ...

and

Tom Taylor Tom Taylor (19 October 1817 – 12 July 1880) was an English dramatist, critic, biographer, public servant, and editor of ''Punch'' magazine. Taylor had a brief academic career, holding the professorship of English literature and language a ...

in the Crusaders backline, he did not get any game time in his first season at Super Rugby level. Nonetheless, the departures of all three players ahead of the 2016 season saw Mo'unga promoted to the full Crusaders squad. He made his debut on 27 February 2016 in a match at home to the and went on to start all 16 matches during a season which ended with Crusaders losing 42-25 to the in

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...

in the quarterfinals. The

2016 Mitre 10 Cup The 2016 Mitre 10 Cup season was the eleventh season of New Zealand's provincial rugby union competition since it turned professional in 2006. The regular season began on August 18, when North Harbour hosted Counties Manukau. It involved the ...

saw him firmly established in the number 10 jersey for Canterbury, as they went on to be crowned New Zealand champions for the 8th time in 9 years.

2017

Mo'unga started in all of his 13 games in the 2017 season for the Crusaders. Mo'unga scored 10 points in the 2017 Super Rugby Final in Johannesburg, South Africa against the

Lions The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large cat of the genus '' Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphic; adult ...

, leading the Crusaders to a 25-17 win and their 8th Super Rugby title. Mo'unga finished the

2017 Mitre 10 Cup The 2017 Mitre 10 Cup season was the twelfth season of New Zealand's provincial rugby union competition since it turned professional in 2006. The regular season began on August 17, when North Harbour hosted Otago. It involved the top fourteen ...

season as the leading point scorer in the competition, scoring 160 points in just 10 games for . In the final against , Mo'unga broke the record for the most points scored in a final when he scored 25 points (2 tries, 3 conversions and 3 penalties). He was named Man of the Match. Mo'unga represented the

Barbarians A barbarian (or savage) is someone who is perceived to be either uncivilized or primitive. The designation is usually applied as a generalization based on a popular stereotype; barbarians can be members of any nation judged by some to be les ...

against

, on 4 November 2017, at

Twickenham Stadium Twickenham Stadium () in Twickenham, south-west London, England, is a rugby union stadium owned by the Rugby Football Union (RFU), English rugby union governing body, which has its headquarters there. The England national rugby union team play ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. Mo'unga scored 7 points, scoring the game's opening try and also converting a Barbarian try in the 31st minute. After the

match, Mo'unga joined the All Blacks for their Northern Tour, having warranted a place in the squad through his performance in the Mitre 10 Cup. Mo'unga was named on the bench for a New Zealand side for a midweek game against a French side. He converted a try by lock Patrick Tuipulotu after coming on as a replacement in the second half. This match however did not count as an official test match.

2018

In 2018, Mo'unga started in 12 games for the Crusaders. This included a Man of the Match performance in the Super Rugby Final played in Christchurch, New Zealand where he scored 17 points to lead the Crusaders to their second consecutive title. Mo'unga made his official test debut on 23 June 2018 against France during the France test series where he replaced

Damian McKenzie Damian Sinclair McKenzie (born 20 April 1995) is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays fullback or First five-eighth for Waikato in the Bunnings NPC competition and Chiefs in super rugby . McKenzie has played 40 tests for New Zealand since ...

in the 69th minute. The All Blacks won 49–14. Mo'unga made his first ever start for New Zealand during Round 3 of the competition, on 8 September 2018. Mo'unga led the All Blacks to a 46-24 victory over Argentina by scoring 16 of the team's points. Mo'unga only missed one kick on the night and lasted the full 80 minutes. Mo'unga's starting performance against Argentina saw him temporarily overtake Damian McKenzie, as backup to regular starter Beauden Barrett. This saw Mo'unga feature off the bench against Argentina and South Africa in the final two rounds of the competition. Mo'unga replaced winger

Waisake Naholo Waisake Ratunideuba Naholo (born 8 May 1991 Sigatoka, Fiji) is a New Zealand rugby union player. He previously played for the All Blacks Sevens and on the wing (and occasionally centre) position for London Irish. In May 2022 he signed with Rugby ...

, in the 51st minute against South Africa, with Ben Smith moved to wing, and Beauden Barrett moved into fullback, to accommodate for Mo'unga at first-five. Mo'unga took kicking duties off Barrett, who had missed a drop goal during the match. Mo'unga converted Ardie Savea's last minute try, after the 80th minute, winning the game for the All Blacks, making the final result against South Africa 32-30. Mo'unga finished as one of the highest points scorers of the Rugby Championship, with 24 points. This ranked Mo'unga 6th of all the points scorers. Mo'unga remained unable to become a regular starter for New Zealand on the 2018 end of year tour. After replacing McKenzie in the third Bledisloe Cup test, against Australia, in a 37-20 win, Mo'unga earned a start against Japan on 3 November. Mo'unga scored 22 points during New Zealand's 69-31 win over Japan, including his first international try. Mo'unga stayed on for the full 80 minutes, with debutant first-five,

Brett Cameron Brett Donald Cameron (born 4 October 1996) is a New Zealand rugby union player. A first five-eighth, Cameron plays for at a provincial level and the in the Super Rugby competition. He made his debut for the New Zealand national side, the All ...

, instead replacing

, although Utility Back,

Jordie Barrett Jordan Matthew Barrett (born 17 February 1997) is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays as a utility back internationally for New Zealand's All Blacks, and for the Hurricanes in the Super Rugby competition. Having previously been ...

, did kick some goals towards the end of the test against Japan, in which Mo'unga was one of the best performers. He made an appearance in every test on the end of year tour, coming off the bench in the final three, which were wins against England and Italy, as well as a 9-16 loss to Ireland.

2019

Mo'unga had a poor start to the 2019 Super Rugby season, beginning the season with a low kicking percentage. Despite his poor start to the season, Mo'unga eventually kicked on, finishing the Crusaders "three peat" season as one of the competition's highest points scorers, second only to

Handré Pollard Handré Pollard (born 11 March 1994) is a South African professional rugby union player who currently plays for the South Africa national team and Leicester Tigers in England's Premiership Rugby. His regular playing positions are fly-half, wher ...

from the Bulls. Mo'unga scored 20 points in the semifinal, as well as 14 points in the final, which was a win over the Jaguares. Named in the All Blacks squad for the

2019 Rugby Championship Nineteen or 19 may refer to: * 19 (number), the natural number following 18 and preceding 20 * one of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019 Films * ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film * ''Nineteen'' (film), a 1987 science fiction film Mus ...

, Mo'unga was named at first-five-eighth after starting fullback Damian Mckenzie was ruled out of the tournament with an ACL injury. The All Blacks starting five-eighth, Beauden Barrett was shifted to fullback, as part of a continuation of the dual playmaker system, while

was dropped from the national setup entirely to make room for Mo'unga and Barrett's combination. After New Zealand's 16-16 draw with South Africa and record 26-47 loss to Australia the Mo'unga and Barrett combination was criticised in New Zealand widely. With many fans and media alike both favouring the experience of veteran Ben Smith at fullback, and 2 time player of the year, Beauden Barrett, at first five-eighth. However, Mo'unga grabbed a 14 point haul against Australia in the second

Bledisloe Cup The Bledisloe Cup is an annual rugby union competition originally staged between the national teams of Australia's Wallabies and New Zealand's All Blacks that has been contested since the 1930s. The frequency that the competition is held has va ...

test against Australia for the year, before being replaced by

. The 36-0 win over Australia saw Mo'unga sustain a shoulder injury, which ruled him out for one test, against Tonga. On 28 August 2019, All Blacks Head Coach, Steve Hansen, named Mo'unga as one of 31 players selected in New Zealand's squad for the

2019 Rugby World Cup The 2019 Rugby World Cup was the ninth edition of the Rugby World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's rugby union teams. It was hosted in Japan from 20 September to 2 November in 12 venues all across the country. The opening match ...

. Mo'unga was named as the only specialist first five-eighth in the squad, with the injured

, as well as single cap All Blacks,

and

Josh Ioane Joshua R. Ioane (born 11 July 1995) is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays for Otago in the Mitre 10 Cup and the in Super Rugby. His position of choice is fly-half. Early life Born in Auckland. Ioane moved to Otago for university, aft ...

missing out. Mo'unga started at first five-eighth throughout the tournament, winning the man of the match award against Canada. After a solid display against Ireland in the quarter finals, Mo'unga and the All Blacks were knocked out of the 2019 Rugby World Cup at the semi finals against England, losing 19-7. Mo'unga was retained at first-five for the third place play off, where he led them to a 40-17 victory over Wales.

Since 2020

Since the start of 2020 Mo'unga has become one of the best first five-eighth in New Zealand with outstanding performances during Super Rugby, leading the Crusaders to Super Rugby Aotearoa titles in both

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

and

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...

and again in the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season with the side now having won six years in a row.

Personal life

In 2019, Mo'unga and his partner, Sophie Vieceli, announced their engagement on social media.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mounga, Richie 1994 births New Zealand rugby union players Canterbury rugby union players Crusaders (rugby union) players Rugby union fly-halves Rugby union fullbacks People educated at St Andrew's College, Christchurch Living people Rugby union players from Christchurch New Zealand sportspeople of Tongan descent New Zealand sportspeople of Samoan descent New Zealand international rugby union players