View source for Mike Catt

{{EngvarB|date=August 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox rugby biography
| name              = Mike Catt <br/> <small>[[Order of the British Empire|OBE]]</small>
| image             = Mike Catt (4319558641).jpg
| caption           = Catt in 2010
| birth_name        = Michael John Catt
| birth_date        = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1971|9|17}}
| birth_place       = [[Gqeberha|Port Elizabeth]], South Africa
| death_date        =
| death_place       = 
| height            = 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
| weight            = 13 st 8 lb (86 kg)
| school            = [[Grey High School]]
| university        = 
| relatives         = 
| occupation        = 
| ru_position       = [[Fullback (rugby union)|Fullback]], [[Fly-half (rugby union)|Fly-half]], [[Centre (rugby union)|Centre]], [[Wing (rugby union)|Wing]]
| repyears1         = 1994–2007
| repyears2         = 1997–2001
| repteam1          = [[England national rugby union team|England]] 
| repteam2          =  [[British & Irish Lions]]
| amatteam1         = 
| years1            = 1992–2004
| years2            = 2004–10
| clubs1            = [[Bath Rugby|Bath]]
| clubs2            = [[London Irish]]
| points1           = 837
| points2           = 61
| apps1             = 227
| apps2             = 76
| ru_currentclub    = 
| province1         = [[Eastern Province Elephants|Eastern Province]]
| provinceyears1    = 
| coachteams1       = [[London Irish]] ''(Attack Coach)''
| coachteams2       = [[England national rugby union team|England]] ''(Backs coach)''
| coachteams3       = [[Italy national rugby union team|Italy]] ''(Attack coach)''
| coachteams4       = [[Ireland national rugby union team|Ireland]] ''(Attack coach)''
| coachteams5       = [[New South Wales Waratahs|NSW Waratahs]] ''(Attack coach)''
| coachyears1       = 2008–2012
| coachyears2       = 2012–2015
| coachyears3       = 2016–2019
| coachyears4       = 2019–2024
| coachyears5       = 2024–2025
| nickname          = 
| amatyears1        = 
| ru_amupdate       = 
| repcaps1          = 75
| repcaps2          = 1
| reppoints1        = 142
| reppoints2        = 0
| ru_ntupdate       = 10 July 2014
| ru_clubupdate     = 10 July 2014
| provinceapps1     = 
| provincepoints1   = 
| ru_provinceupdate = 10 July 2014
| ru_sevensupdate   = 
| ru_coachupdate    = 
| other             = 
| family            = 
| spouse            = 
| children          =  
}}

'''Michael John Catt''' [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]] (born 17 September 1971) is a South African-born former [[rugby union]] player who played for the [[England national rugby union team]]. He played professionally for the clubs [[London Irish]] and [[Bath Rugby|Bath]]. He earned 75 international caps for [[England national rugby union team|England]] and played in two World Cup Finals, in 2003 (when England won) and 2007. With his appearance in the October 2007 final, at age 36&nbsp;years 1&nbsp;month, he became the oldest ever player to play in a [[Rugby World Cup]] final.<ref name="retire" /> Since 2008, Catt has coached various rugby teams, and from 2019 to 2024 was assistant coach for the [[Ireland national rugby union team|Ireland national rugby team]]. He is currently Attack Coach for the [[NSW Waratahs]].

==Early life==
Catt was born on 17 September 1971 in [[Gqeberha|Port Elizabeth]], South Africa. He attended [[Grey High School]] in Port Elizabeth until 1989 and represented [[Eastern Province Elephants|Eastern Province]] at rugby union. His mother Anne was English, through whom he qualified to play for England later on, and as a student he toured England. At the time, [[South Africa national rugby union team|South Africa]] was banned from international competition because of the country's [[apartheid]] policy. He moved to England after leaving school.{{cn|date=July 2025}}

==Club career==
Catt joined [[Bath Rugby|Bath]] in 1992 as understudy to [[Stuart Barnes]] and made his debut as a 21-year-old against [[Nottingham R.F.C.]] later the same year. He started for Bath in the victorious [[1998 Heineken Cup Final]] as they defeated [[CA Brive|Brive]].<ref>{{cite news
|url=http://www.epcrugby.com/matchcentre/17106.php
|title=The Third Heineken Cup Final
|publisher=epcrugby.com
|date=31 January 1998
|access-date=24 February 2017
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180513234049/http://www.epcrugby.com/matchcentre/17106.php
|archive-date=13 May 2018
|url-status=dead
}}</ref> He had a testimonial year with Bath in 2004, but at the end of the 2003–04 season, Bath decided not to renew his contract and he moved to [[London Irish]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/english/3676361.stm |title=Exiles win Catt chase |publisher=BBC News |date=5 May 2004 |access-date=4 September 2011}}</ref>
At the start of the 2007–08 season, he announced he was going to be backs coach for London Irish as well as a player.
Whilst with the Exiles, he enjoyed a fruitful twilight of his career and in May 2006 was named Guinness Premiership Player of the Season.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/english/5014296.stm |title=Catt picks up Premiership honour |publisher=BBC News |date=24 May 2006 |access-date=4 September 2011}}</ref>
He is the oldest ever player to play in an English Premiership final (May 2009), aged 37, when he was a player / coach at London Irish.{{citation needed|date=January 2020}}

On 8 May 2010 he played the final competitive club match of his career. Already a [[Member of the Order of the British Empire]] (MBE), he was appointed [[Officer of the Order of the British Empire]] (OBE) in the 2011 New Year Honours for services to rugby.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=59647 |date=31 December 2010 |page=9 |supp=y}}</ref>

==International career==
A [[Rugby union positions#Utility players|utility back]], Catt played for [[England national rugby union team|England]] at [[Fullback (rugby union)|fullback]], [[Fly-half (rugby union)|fly-half]], [[Centre (rugby union)|inside centre]] and even [[Wing (rugby union)|wing]], and was part of the England side that won the [[2003 Rugby World Cup]].

His international debut came against [[Wales national rugby union team|Wales]] as a replacement for [[Rob Andrew]]. His breakthrough performance, however, came in England's following match against [[Canada national rugby union team|Canada]] at [[Twickenham Stadium]], where he came on as an injury-replacement for the incumbent England fullback [[Paul Hull]]. England's emphatic victory, Hull's untimely injury, and Catt's impact in the late stages of the game cemented Catt as the new darling of English rugby that season.

Playing at full back, Catt was part of England's 1995 [[Grand Slam (Rugby Union)|Grand Slam]] winning side, and played in the [[1995 Rugby World Cup]]. In that event, he was memorably "[[Posterized|posterised]]" by a young [[Jonah Lomu]], who ran over him on the way to one of his four tries for the [[All Blacks]] in their semifinal win over England.

Catt was called up as an injury replacement in the [[1997 British Lions tour to South Africa]] and played in the final test. At the time the England squad (excluding the substantial number who were with the Lions) were touring Argentina, where Catt was showing excellent form. {{Citation needed|date=June 2009}}

For some of his international career, his inclusion was questioned in some quarters. He was booed when he missed a penalty against [[Australia national rugby union team|Australia]] in 1998 at [[Twickenham Stadium|Twickenham]] that could have won the match; Australia won by 1 point. Ultimately though his natural ability as a rugby player has provided more positive career notes than negatives.

In 2000, with the retirement of centres after the [[1999 Rugby World Cup|1999 World Cup]], his career was revived when he stepped into midfield. Acting as an inside centre, with [[Jonny Wilkinson]] his kicking and distribution was responsible for the high try counts of that year.{{citation needed|date=January 2020}}

Catt was selected for the [[2001 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia]] but was injured and replaced by [[Scott Gibbs]].

Catt was selected in the squad that won the [[2003 Rugby World Cup|2003 World Cup]]; a move some saw as the one surprise selection in [[Clive Woodward|Clive Woodward's]] squad. After featuring in pool games against [[Samoa national rugby union team|Samoa]] and [[Uruguay national rugby union team|Uruguay]], Catt was brought on as a half time substitute in England's quarter-final against [[Wales national rugby union team|Wales]], with England trailing 10–3. As a tactical substitution to improve England's kicking options and reduce the pressure on [[Jonny Wilkinson]], Catt's performance was seen by many as key to England's improved second half showing and eventual 28–17 victory.{{citation needed|date=January 2020}} In the semi-final against [[France national rugby union team|France]], Catt was selected to start at [[inside centre]] as a tactical move, and due to his performance against Wales. He played in the extra-time period in the final as a replacement for [[Mike Tindall]], alongside Wilkinson and [[Will Greenwood]] in England's midfield. Catt made several breaks in the extra-time period, and kicked the ball into touch to bring about the final whistle, ending the game and confirming England as world champions.

In 2006, he received an England recall, making his first Test appearances for two years on the summer tour to Australia, cementing his place in England's top ten most capped players. He had been in international exile until he was called up to captain England in the [[2007 Six Nations Championship|2007 Six Nations]] game against France at Twickenham.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/english/6412111.stm |title=Catt to lead much-changed England |publisher=BBC News |date=6 March 2007 |access-date=4 September 2011}}</ref> England, with regular captain [[Phil Vickery (rugby union)|Phil Vickery]] and fly-half [[Jonny Wilkinson]] out to injury, won the match 26–18. He also captained England in the Six Nations defeat to Wales at the Millennium Stadium and again in England's pre-World Cup defeat to France at Twickenham in August 2007.

Catt was included in [[Brian Ashton (rugby union)|Brian Ashton]]'s England squad for the [[2007 Rugby World Cup]], where he helped England reach a second successive final. Catt brought out his own autobiography after the World Cup "Landing on My Feet: My Story".

Catt confirmed his retirement from international rugby on 27 October 2007, the week after England lost to South Africa in that year's World Cup.<ref name="retire">{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/english/7065924.stm |title=Catt calls time on England career |publisher=BBC News |date=27 October 2007 |access-date=4 September 2011}}</ref>

==Coaching career==
Catt's coaching career began in 2008, where he replaced [[Brian Smith (rugby, born 1966)|Brian Smith]] as attack coach at [[London Irish]]; he acted as a player-coach for the 2008–10 season. When he fully retired from playing at the end of the 2009–10 season, he remained with the London Irish set-up until Smith returned to the club in 2012.

In 2012, Catt joined the England national set-up as backs/attack coach for their 2012 tour to South Africa. On 15 December 2015, following the resignation of head coach [[Stuart Lancaster (rugby union)|Stuart Lancaster]] on 11 November 2015, newly appointed head coach [[Eddie Jones (rugby union)|Eddie Jones]] sacked the whole coaching team.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/35088605 Graham Rowntree, Mike Catt and Andy Farrell leave England roles]</ref>

On 25 March 2016, Catt was announced as part of the newly appointed [[Italy national rugby union team|Italy]] coaching staff, sharing duties with [[Conor O'Shea]] and Stephen Aboud.<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/2016/03/25/conor-oshea-and-mike-catt-to-coach-italy/ Mike Catt joins Conor O'Shea in new-look Italy coaching team]</ref>

On 24 June 2019, it was confirmed after the [[2019 Rugby World Cup]], Catt will be joining former [[England national rugby union team|England]] player and coach [[Andy Farrell]]'s coaching team at [[Ireland national rugby union team|Ireland]]; after [[Joe Schmidt (rugby union)|Joe Schmidt]], the current head coach, steps down. Catt said: "I am looking forward to RWC in Japan and seeing the group of players we have here in [[Italy national rugby union team|Italy]] fulfil their potential and achieve the objectives we have set for ourselves. Obviously it is an honour to be given this future opportunity with Ireland but I will focus on that challenge only after I have given my all for Italy and this group of players".

As of February 2023, England's coaching group during the [[2015 Rugby World Cup]] are all employed in Ireland – Andy Farrell (Ireland head coach), [[Stuart Lancaster (rugby union)|Stuart Lancaster]] ([[Connacht Rugby]] head coach), [[Graham Rowntree]] ([[Munster Rugby]] head coach) and Mike Catt (Ireland attack coach).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://punditarena.com/rugby/smcmahon/mike-catt-confirmed-as-part-of-andy-farrells-ireland-coaching-team/|title = Mike Catt Confirmed as Part of Andy Farrell's Ireland Coaching Team|date = 23 June 2019}}</ref> Catt left Ireland after the 2024 Summer Tour to South Africa.

On 5 August 2024, it was announced Catt was joining the [[NSW Waratahs]] as Attack Coach.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rugby.com.au/news/england-legend-catt-headlines-new-look-waratahs-coaching-staff-under-mckellar-202485|title = England legend Catt headlines new look Waratahs coaching staff under McKellar}}</ref>

== Honours ==
;[[Bath Rugby|Bath]]
*[[Aviva Premiership|Premiership]] 1992–93, 1993–94, 1995–96
*[[Anglo-Welsh Cup]] 1994, 1995, 1996
*[[European Rugby Champions Cup]] 1998

;[[England national rugby union team|England]]
*[[Six Nations Championship|Six Nations]] 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2003
*[[Rugby World Cup|World Cup]] 2003
;[[British & Irish Lions|Lions]]
*[[1997 British Lions tour to South Africa|South Africa]] 1997 Winner
*[[2001 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia|Australia]] 2001 Tourist

;[[Ireland national rugby union team|Ireland]]
*[[Six Nations Championship|Six Nations]] 2023 (Grand Slam), 2024

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{England 2007 Rugby World Cup squad}}
{{England 2003 Rugby World Cup squad}}
{{England 1999 Rugby World Cup squad}}
{{England 1995 Rugby World Cup squad}}
{{British and Irish Lions 1997}}
{{British and Irish Lions 2001}}
{{England national rugby union team captains}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Catt, Mike}}
[[Category:1971 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Rugby union players from Gqeberha]]
[[Category:English rugby union coaches]]
[[Category:English rugby union players]]
[[Category:South African rugby union coaches]]
[[Category:South African rugby union players]]
[[Category:Rugby union fly-halves]]
[[Category:Rugby union centres]]
[[Category:Rugby union fullbacks]]
[[Category:Rugby union wings]]
[[Category:Bath Rugby players]]
[[Category:London Irish players]]
[[Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:England international rugby union players]]
[[Category:South African people of British descent]]
[[Category:South African emigrants to the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Alumni of Grey High School]]
[[Category:British & Irish Lions rugby union players from England]]
[[Category:1995 Rugby World Cup players]]
[[Category:1999 Rugby World Cup players]]
[[Category:2003 Rugby World Cup players]]
[[Category:2007 Rugby World Cup players]]