Born in Timaru, Murray Pierce was educated at Waitaki Boys, Roxburgh District and Dunstan High Schools. He played club rugby in Roxburgh before moving to Wellington. Serving with the New Zealand Police his initial first class rugby was for New Zealand Combined Services, appearing in all four matches on their tour of the Seddon Shield Districts in 1980.
Playing for the Wellington club Pierce first represented Wellington in 1982, had a fine game in Wellington's Ranfurly Shield challenge against Canterbury the following year, played in New Zealand trials in 1984 and was that season selected for the All Black tours of Australia and Fiji.
His test debut came against England in 1985, when he also played against Australia. He was chosen for the cancelled tour of South Africa and went on the replacement tour to Argentina instead.
Murray Pierce was one of the All Blacks on the unauthorised Cavaliers tour to South Africa in 1986, and regained his All Black test place when the Cavaliers again became eligible for selection. He played in two tests against Australia and both tests on tour against France.
An automatic choice for the 1987 World Cup Pierce played in five of the six matches, including the final, but missed the tour to Japan at the end of the season.
After appearing in all twelve test matches in 1988 and 1989 he moved briefly to South Africa in 1990 but returned to New Zealand midway through the season. He regained his place in the New Zealand side to France that season but was not required for the two test matches.
With a playing weight of 107 kilos and 1.98 tall Pierce was a noted lineout ball winner and was one of the strengths of the formidable All Black team that dominated World Rugby in the late 1980s.
Profile by Bob Luxford
for the New Zealand Rugby Museum.
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FULL NAME |
Murray James Pierce |
BORN |
Friday, 1 November 1957 in Timaru |
AGE |
52 |
PHYSICAL |
1.98m, 107kg |
POSITION |
Lock |
LAST SCHOOL |
Waitaki Boys' High |
RUGBY CLUB
(First made All Blacks from) |
Wellington |
PROVINCE |
Wellington |
ALL BLACK DEBUT |
Wednesday, 4 July 1984
v Queensland B at Brisbane
aged 26 years, 246 days |
INTERNATIONAL DEBUT |
Saturday, 1 June 1985
v England at Christchurch
aged 27 years, 212 days |
LAST TEST |
Saturday, 18 November 1989
v Ireland at Dublin
aged 32 years, 17 days |
ALL BLACK TESTS |
26 (0 as Captain) |
ALL BLACK GAMES |
28 (0 as Captain) |
TOTAL ALL BLACK MATCHES |
54 (0 as Captain) |
ALL BLACK TEST POINTS |
0pts |
ALL BLACK GAME POINTS |
16pts (4t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m) |
TOTAL ALL BLACK POINTS |
16pts (4t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m) |
ALL BLACK NUMBER |
852 |
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The All Black Games that Pierce played.
(+) = substitute; (-) = replaced |
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Click on the date to be taken to the Match Card |
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1984 |
4 Jul vs Queensland B at Brisbane 37-0 |
11 Jul vs South Australia at Adelaide 99-0 |
17 Jul vs Victoria at Melbourne 65-3 |
25 Jul vs A.C.T. at Canberra 40-16 (-) |
8 Aug vs Queensland Country at Surfers Paradise 88-0 |
14 Aug vs N.S.W. B at Gosford 21-15 |
17 Oct vs President's XV at Suva 39-0 |
24 Oct vs Eastern XV at Suva 58-0 |
1985 |
1 Jun vs England at Christchurch 18-13 |
8 Jun vs England at Wellington 42-15 |
29 Jun vs Australia at Auckland 10-9 |
15 Oct vs Rosario Selection at Fisherton 28-9 |
19 Oct vs Buenos Aires Selection at Buenos Aires 31-13 |
26 Oct vs Argentina at Buenos Aires 33-20 (-) |
1986 |
23 Aug vs Australia at Dunedin 13-12 |
6 Sep vs Australia at Auckland 9-22 |
21 Oct vs French Selection at Strasbourg 42-12 |
26 Oct vs Selection du Centre at Clermont-Ferrand 23-19 |
1 Nov vs Rousillon-Languedoc Selection at Perpignan 59-6 |
8 Nov vs France at Toulouse 19-7 |
15 Nov vs France at Nantes 3-16 |
1987 |
22 May vs Italy at Auckland 70-6 |
1 Jun vs Argentina at Wellington 46-15 |
6 Jun vs Scotland at Christchurch 30-3 |
14 Jun vs Wales at Brisbane 49-6 |
20 Jun vs France at Auckland 29-9 |
25 Jul vs Australia at Sydney 30-16 |
1988 |
28 May vs Wales at Christchurch 52-3 |
11 Jun vs Wales at Auckland 54-9 |
22 Jun vs Randwick RFC at Sydney 25-9 |
26 Jun vs Australia 'B' at Brisbane 28-4 |
3 Jul vs Australia at Sydney 32-7 |
6 Jul vs A.C.T. at Queanbeyan 16-3 |
16 Jul vs Australia at Brisbane 19-19 |
20 Jul vs N.S.W. B at Gosford 45-9 |
26 Jul vs Victorian Invitation XV at Melbourne 84-8 |
30 Jul vs Australia at Sydney 30-9 |
1989 |
17 Jun vs France at Christchurch 25-17 |
1 Jul vs France at Auckland 34-20 |
15 Jul vs Argentina at Dunedin 60-9 |
29 Jul vs Argentina at Wellington 49-12 |
5 Aug vs Australia at Auckland 24-12 |
14 Oct vs Cardiff at Cardiff 25-15 |
21 Oct vs Swansea at Swansea 37-22 |
28 Oct vs Llanelli at Llanelli 11-0 |
31 Oct vs Newport at Newport 54-9 |
4 Nov vs Wales at Cardiff 34-9 |
11 Nov vs Munster at Cork 31-9 |
18 Nov vs Ireland at Dublin 23-6 |
25 Nov vs Barbarians at London 21-10 |
1990 |
20 Oct vs Languedoc Selection at Narbonne 22-6 |
27 Oct vs French Barbarians at Agen 23-13 |
30 Oct vs Cote Basque-Landes at Bayonne 12-18 |
6 Nov vs A French XV at La Rochelle 22-15 |
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