International Rugby
Doug
Howlett
Howlett
Doug Howlett was a prolific try scorer who was a true star of the game. Discover everything about his career with RugbyPass, your resident rugby gurus.
Doug Howlett Bio
Doug Howlett was a prolific try scorer who was capped 63 times by New Zealand during his long and illustrious career. At the domestic level, he also represented the Blues, Munster and a host of other elite sides. Doug Howlett was inducted into the RugbyPass Hall of Fame in 2021.
Born 21 September 1978, Doug Howlett started playing rugby at Auckland Grammar School. While at the school, he became a sporting star and was renowned as a promising rugby player, sprinter and captain of the athletics team.
Doug Howlett then made his first-class debut for Auckland at the age of 18. Between 1996 and 2007, he made 55 appearances for the side. During this time, he also represented three teams in Super Rugby: the Highlanders, the Hurricanes and the Blues.
Of these sides, Doug Howlett enjoyed his greatest level of success with the Blues, where he established himself as one of the finest backs in the world. He also helped guide the side to the Super Rugby title in 2003.
At the end of the 2007 Super Rugby season, Doug Howlett announced that he was leaving New Zealand and signing for Munster in Ireland. He then represented the Irish province between 2008 and 2013, helping them capture the Celtic League (now the PRO14) in 2009 and 2011. He also helped them capture the Heineken Champions Cup in 2008. Doug Howlett was inducted into the RugbyPass Hall of Fame in 2021.
Although Doug Howlett made 97 appearances for the Blues and 112 appearances for Munster, he’s best known for his performances in an All Blacks shirt. In total, he was capped 63 times by his country and won The Rugby Championship on five occasions. During this period, he also scored 49 tries. To date, this remains a record for the All Blacks.
When Doug Howlett retired in 2013, he stayed with Munster and became a club ambassador. He then went on to become Munster's head of commercial and marketing, before returning to New Zealand in the autumn of 2019.
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