- Date of Birth17 / 09 / 1971
- Lions Tours1997, 2001
- International CapsEngland / Lions
- Lions Origin SchoolsGrey HS Port Elizabeth (S Africa)
- Lions Origin ClubsBath Rugby, Barbarians, London Irish, EP Kings
England’s 2003 Rugby World Cup triumph may never have come to fruition if it wasn’t for 1997 winning Lion Mike Catt.
At 10-3 down against Wales in the quarter-final, Catt appeared from the bench at half-time to turn the tide and lay the platform for England’s vital 28-17 win.
Port Elizabeth-born Catt returned to the country of his birth in 1997 with the Lions as an injury replacement.
Equally capable at fly-half and inside centre, Catt won a place among the replacements for the winning tests in Cape Town and Durban before starting the third and final Test in Johannesburg.
He was also selected for the 2001 tour to Australia but a calf injury curtailed his trip and he was replaced by his fellow 1997 tourist Scott Gibbs.
A late-career renaissance saw Catt, then 36, become the oldest player to start a World Cup final when he lined up against the Springboks in 2007 and he eventually retired with 76 international caps to his name.