Derren Witcombe

Derren Witcombe

Date of birth	(1978-10-30) 30 October 1978
Place of birth	Hobart, Australia
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight	108 kg (238 lb)
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position	Hooker
Amateur clubs
Years	Club / team
	Hora Hora
Provincial/State sides
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
2001–02 2003–06	Northland Auckland	20 30
Super Rugby
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
2002–07	Blues	53	(15)
National team(s)
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
2005 2007	New Zealand Junior All Blacks	5	(0)
Coaching career
Years	Club / team
2013–14	Northland

Derren John Charles Witcombe (born 30 October 1978 in Hobart, Australia) is a New Zealand rugby union coach and former player. As a player he played at hooker. He played for the All Blacks, New Zealand's national team, in 2005, and at Super Rugby level for the Blues between 2002 and 2007. Provincially he represented Northland and then Auckland at provincial level. He retired from playing in 2007 due to a neck injury. He took up coaching, and was head coach of Northland in the ITM Cup in 2013 and 2014 before departing suddenly in early 2015 to take up a position at Japanese club Mitsubishi Dynaboars.

After being involved in five test matches, including those against the British and Irish Lions, Witcombe suffered a neck injury that put him out of contention for the remainder of the Tri Nations.

Witcombe began his playing career with Northland in 1999 before transferring to Auckland in 2003. Witcombe is an accomplished cricketer, and has played for the Northland province as a wicket keeper/batsman.