Rico Gear
Birth nameRico Levi Gear
Birth date26 February 1978 (age 48)
Birth placeGisborne, New Zealand
Height179 cm
Weight92 kg (14 st 7 lb; 203 lb)
SchoolGisborne Boys' High School
RelativesHosea Gear (brother)
Repyears 11998–1999
Repteam 1New Zealand Colts
Repyears 22002–2005
Repteam 2New Zealand Māori
Repyears 32003
Repteam 3New Zealand Barbarians
Repyears 42004–2007
Repteam 4New Zealand
Repyears 52007
Repteam 5Junior All Blacks
Repyears 62008
Repteam 6Barbarian F.C.
Repcaps 17
Reppoints 125
Repcaps 210
Reppoints 220
Repcaps 31
Reppoints 30
Repcaps 420
Reppoints 465
Repcaps 52
Reppoints 515
Repcaps 61
Reppoints 60
Years 11997, 2014–2016
Clubs 1Poverty Bay
Years 21998–1999
Clubs 2Auckland
Years 31999, 2002–2004
Clubs 3Blues
Years 42000
Clubs 4Highlanders
Years 52000
Clubs 5Bay of Plenty
Years 62001, 2005–2007
Clubs 6Crusaders
Years 72001–2004
Clubs 7North Harbour
Years 82005–2007
Clubs 8Nelson Bays
Years 92005
Clubs 9Tasman
Years 102006
Clubs 10Canterbury
Years 112007
Clubs 11Worcester
Years 122007–2010
Clubs 12Kintetsu Liners
Years 132021
Clubs 13Ngati Porou East Coast
Apps 117
Points 140
Apps 26
Points 210
Apps 335
Points 345
Apps 44
Points 45
Apps 510
Points 530
Apps 640
Points 6150
Apps 724
Points 765
Apps 84
Points 815
Apps 93
Points 910
Apps 1010
Points 1025
Apps 1166
Points 1190
Apps 1247

Rico Levi Gear (born 26 February 1978) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. He was a specialist right wing but also covered midfield positions.

He is the older brother of New Zealand winger Hosea Gear

Club career

Gear was educated at Gisborne Boys' High. As a young man Gear also played for the Tolaga Bay rugby union club just outside Gisborne. In 1990 Gear played for the Gisborne East Coast under 13 rugby league team.[1] He also studied anthropology at Massey University with an emphasis on Māoridom and Māori language for two years.

Gear made his provincial debut in 1997, playing for Poverty Bay against King Country. He has since played for provincial sides; Auckland, Bay of Plenty, North Harbour and Nelson Bays.

He made his Super 12 debut for the Auckland Blues in 1999 against the Queensland Reds. He also had a stint with the Highlanders, however his career really ignited when he went to the Crusaders at the end of the 2004 season.

Gear played every game in the 2005 season, for the Crusaders, and he scored 15 times for the 2005 champions. He was also named Rebel Sport Super 12 player of the Year and the Tom French Memorial Māori Player of the Year.

He was first choice right wing for the Crusaders in the 2006 Super 14 season. Gear has a younger brother Hosea Gear who played wing for the Chiefs.

In June 2007 Gear was signed by Guinness Premiership side Worcester Warriors. Gear was regarded as one of the most dangerous and clinical wingers in world rugby and carved up defenses in the Guinness Premiership during the 2008/09 campaign.

He became one of the biggest signings in the club's long history after agreeing a three-year deal that kept him at Sixways until 2010.

Gear started his Warriors career with four tries in a match on his full debut – equalling the competition record – as Warriors punished Gran Parma and he continued to rack up the tries.

He scored one of the most memorable individual tries ever seen at Sixways Stadium with his solo stunner against Bucuresti and also scored a breathtaking one-handed effort against Harlequins at The Stoop.

Despite being hit by a number of injuries towards the end of the campaign, Gear still finished the season with a staggering record of 12 tries in only 19 appearances for the club and vowing he would show his real form in the 2008/09 term. After Worcester Warriors got relegated after the 2009–2010 season, he signed with Japanese Top League team Kintetsu Liners in April 2010.

International career

Gear made his international debut on 10 July 2004 in a match against the Pacific Islanders, where he also scored a try. He went on to play in numerous matches against the British & Irish Lions in their 2005 tour of New Zealand. He scored his first All Blacks hat-trick against Wales at the Millennium Stadium in 2005. He also played in the 2006 Tri Nations.

He won a Commonwealth Games gold medal when he was part of the New Zealand Sevens side and also has World Cup Sevens medals.

In spite of appearances in the All Blacks in the 2007 season, Gear was omitted from the Rugby World Cup squad, announced on 22 July 2007. Doug Howlett was selected in his place.

In all he scored 11 tries in 19 tests for the All Blacks including a hat trick against Wales at Cardiff and two against Scotland on the same tour.

Post rugby career

When he was recruited for season 2 of Match Fit as the youngest and fittest recruit, but has battled asthma all his life. He had lived in Gold Coast, Australia as a schoolboy coach, and married with Australian wife, Rebecca Miles, who was a professional basketball player, and 2 children, Isaiah and Ava.[2] The family still reside on the Gold Coast in 2023.[3][4] On episode 3, Rico, as the only other fluent Maori speaker, was forced into lead the Classic All Blacks to reply in traditional Powhiri as Glenn Osbourne and Piri Weepu, along with non-speaker Daniel Braid, failed to return in time as pig and deer hunters.[2]

References

  1. ^ Lion Red Rugby League Annual 1990 New Zealand Rugby League, 1990. p.145
  2. ^ "Match Fit Season 2 Ep 3 | DOCUMENTARY/FACTUAL | ThreeNow". www.threenow.co.nz. Archived from the original on 29 June 2022. Retrieved 2022-06-29.
  3. ^ "Match Fit Season 2 Ep 1 | DOCUMENTARY/FACTUAL | ThreeNow". www.threenow.co.nz. Retrieved 2022-06-22.[dead link]
  4. ^ "Match Fit Season 2 Ep 2 | DOCUMENTARY/FACTUAL | ThreeNow". www.threenow.co.nz. Retrieved 2022-06-29.[dead link]