Andrew Philip Mehrtens
Date of birth	1973-04-28
Place of birth	Durban, South Africa
Height	1.78 m
Weight	89 kg
Rugby union career
Position	Fly-half (first five-eighth)
Professional clubs		Caps	(points)
2005-	NEC Harlequins	19	(210)
correct as of 21 Sept 2006.
Provincial/State sides
1993-2004	Canterbury	108	(1056)
correct as of .
Super Rugby
1996-2005	Crusaders	87	(981)
correct as of .
National team(s)
1995-2005	New Zealand	70	(967)
correct as of 21 Sept 2005.
Other Information
School  attended	Christchurch Boys' High School
Notable relatives	Terry Mehrtens, George Mehrtens

Andrew Philip Mehrtens MNZM (born 28 April 1973 in Durban, South Africa) is a New Zealand rugby union footballer who has been one of the top fly-halves (or first five-eighths) in the world since the advent of the sport's professional era in the mid-1990s. He now plays in England for Harlequins, where in his first season he played a major factor in leading the freshly relegated club to an immediate return to the top-level Guinness Premiership. Image File history File links Image-Andrew_mehrtens. ... 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ... April 28 is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 247 days remaining. ... City motto: Debile Principium Melion Fortuna Sequetu (Latin: Better Fortune Follows A Difficult Beginning) Province KwaZulu-Natal Mayor Obed Mlaba Area  - % water 2,292 km² N/A Population  - Total (2004)  - Density Not ranked 3,346,799 1,460/km² Established 1835 Time zone SAST (UTC+2) Calling code 031 edit... The metre, or meter (symbol: m) is the SI base unit of length. ... The international prototype, made of platinum-iridium, which is kept at the BIPM under conditions specified by the 1st CGPM in 1889. ... A rugby union scrum. ... A rugby union team is made up of 15 players: eight forwards, numbered from 1 to 8; and seven backs, numbered from 9 to 15. ... A rugby union team is made up of 15 players: eight forwards, numbered from 1 to 8; and seven backs, numbered from 9 to 15. ... A cap is an appearance for a select team, such as a school, county or international team in sports. ... The Harlequin Football Club (The Harlequins or Quins for short) is an English rugby union team who currently play in the second level of English rugby, National Division One, but have secured a return to the Guinness Premiership at the first opportunity. ... The Canterbury Rugby Football Union is the official governing body for rugby union in a substantial part of the Canterbury region of New Zealand. ... The current Super 14 logo The Super 14 is a rugby union championship competed for by teams from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. ... The Crusaders (formerly the Canterbury Crusaders) are a New Zealand Rugby Union team based in Christchurch, New Zealand that competes in the Super 14 (formerly the Super 12). ... The following is a list of international rugby union teams: Any team added to this list should have a corresponding Category:International rugby union teams or Category:National rugby union teams link put into the bottom the article to keep the Category database up to date. ... CBHS vs. ... Companions Badge of the New Zealand Order of Merit The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order of chivalry established on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions, in order of seniority: Principal Companion (PCNZM) (formerly Knight or Dame... April 28 is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 247 days remaining. ... 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ... City motto: Debile Principium Melion Fortuna Sequetu (Latin: Better Fortune Follows A Difficult Beginning) Province KwaZulu-Natal Mayor Obed Mlaba Area  - % water 2,292 km² N/A Population  - Total (2004)  - Density Not ranked 3,346,799 1,460/km² Established 1835 Time zone SAST (UTC+2) Calling code 031 edit... A rugby union scrum. ... A rugby union team is made up of 15 players: eight forwards, numbered from 1 to 8; and seven backs, numbered from 9 to 15. ... See also 1990s, the band Germans dancing on the Berlin Wall in late 1989, the symbol of the cold war divide falls down as the world unites in the 1990s. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2005 est. ... The Harlequin Football Club (The Harlequins or Quins for short) is an English rugby union team who currently play in the second level of English rugby, National Division One, but have secured a return to the Guinness Premiership at the first opportunity. ... National Division One is a club rugby union competition in England. ... In most sports leagues around the world (with the North American professional leagues as the most important exception), relegation (or demotion) means the mandated transfer of the worst team(s) of a higher division into a lower division at the end of the season. ... The Guinness Premiership is the present name for the leading rugby union league competition for English clubs. ...

Mehrtens' New Zealand parents lived in South Africa for four years from 1970 and returned to New Zealand when he was a young child. Mehrtens grew up in Christchurch, and attended Christchurch Boys' High School. After representing New Zealand at under-19 and under-21 levels, he received his first callup to the All Blacks in 1995. Mehrtens made an immediate impact, scoring 28 points against Canada in his Test debut; at that time, that was the highest point total ever by a player making his international debut. Mehrtens also featured in the infamous food-poisoned team that played in the 1995 Rugby World Cup final against South Africa. Mehrtens came within inches of claiming victory for New Zealand, with a dropgoal attempt veering just wide of the posts at the end of regulation time. Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the third largest city in the country. ... CBHS vs. ... First international Australia 3 - 22 New Zealand (15 August 1903) Largest win New Zealand 145 - 17 Japan (4 June 1995) Worst defeat Australia 28 - 7 New Zealand (28 August 1999) World Cup Appearances 5 (First in 1987) Best result Champions, 1987 All Blacks is the name of New Zealands... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Mehrtens is currently the all-time leading scorer for the All Blacks, with 967 points (all statistics as of 21 September 2005). He has scored 20 or more points in 13 separate Tests, has scored nine penalties in two separate Tests, and is the only player with more than 300 points in the Tri Nations Series. His 209 points against South Africa is the most ever by one player against one country; he also occupies second place on that list, with 202 against Australia. Mehrtens is also atop the all-time list for Test conversions, with 167. A supposed drop in form, combined with injuries, saw him miss out on the All Blacks World Cup squad in 2003. Critics of coach John Mitchell felt New Zealand's chances were dealt a blow without the choice of an experienced goal-kicker, an area in which New Zealand could not compete in the semi-final against Australia. Nonetheless, a strong 2004 Super 12 campaign saw him called back to the All Blacks. He was also not included in the 2005 All Black squad to face the British Lions. September 21 is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Tri Nations Series is an annual international Rugby Union series held between Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The current Super 14 logo The Super 14 is a rugby union championship competed for by teams from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

He has also starred below international level. In Super 12, Mehrtens was a key member of the Crusaders side that won the competition four times in five years (1998-2000, 2002), and in 2005, another successful year for the Crusaders, he also played well, making regular appearances off the bench and starting in a few games. During 2005 he became that competition's leading all-time scorer. He was also on three NPC-winning Canterbury sides, in 1997, 2001 and 2004. The Crusaders (formerly the Canterbury Crusaders) are a New Zealand Rugby Union team based in Christchurch, New Zealand, Jade Stadium, and representing the Buller, Tasman, West Coast, Canterbury, Mid Canterbury and South Canterbury unions. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The National Provincial Championship (which for sponsorship reasons, is referred to as Air New Zealand NPC or just simply NPC) is New Zealands principal domestic rugby union competition. ... The Canterbury Rugby Football Union is the official governing body for rugby union in a substantial part of the Canterbury region of New Zealand. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Mehrtens is generally considered to be somewhat of a liability in defence; however, he has more than compensated for any deficiencies in that area by having one of the best kicking games in world rugby, and possessing a developed tactical sense.

Andrew Mehrtens' father Terry Mehrtens played rugby for the Junior All Blacks, Canterbury and Natal and his grandfather George Mehrtens was an All Black. Mehrtens was made a member of the Order of Merit in the New Zealand New Years Honours List for 2006.

More recently, Mehrtens has revealed that he has applied for a South African passport. In an interview with The Sunday Star-Times of Auckland, he said that he was doing so to take advantage of the fact that South African nationals are considered domestic players in English rugby. If his passport is approved, that would open up a spot on the Quins roster for another Southern Hemisphere player—widely rumoured to be Tana Umaga, recently retired from the All Blacks, although Mehrtens himself denied those rumours in the same interview. Mehrtens is known as the greastest fligh halve (10) ever.. The Sunday Star-Times is a weekly newspaper published in Auckland, New Zealand. ... The Auckland Metropolitan Area, or Greater Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest urban area in New Zealand. ... Ionatana Falefasa Tana Umaga, ONZM, (IPA: , born May 27, 1973) is a New Zealand rugby union footballer and former captain of the national team, the All Blacks. ...

External links

• Andrew Mehrtens at AllBlacks.com

	Crusaders - 2002 Unbeaten Season - Super 12 Champions
1 Dave Hewett | 2 Mark Hammett | 3 Greg Somerville | 4 Chris Jack | 5 Norm Maxwell | 6 Reuben Thorne | 7 Richie McCaw | 8  Scott Robertson | 9 Justin Marshall | 10 Andrew Mehrtens | 11 Caleb Ralph | 12 Aaron Mauger | 13 Nathan Mauger | 14 Marika Vunibaka | 15 Leon MacDonald | 16 Greg Feek | 17 Corey Flynn | 18 Bradley Mika | 19 Sam Broomhall | 20 Ben Hurst | 21 Joe Maddock | 22 Ben Blair |  Nick White | Johnny Leo’o |  Mark Robinson | Coach Robbie Deans First international Australia 3 - 22 New Zealand (15 August 1903) Largest win New Zealand 145 - 17 Japan (4 June 1995) Worst defeat Australia 28 - 7 New Zealand (28 August 1999) World Cup Appearances 5 (First in 1987) Best result Champions, 1987 All Blacks is the name of New Zealands... Image File history File links Super_12_logo. ... The Crusaders (formerly the Canterbury Crusaders) are a New Zealand Rugby Union team based in Christchurch, New Zealand, Jade Stadium, and representing the Buller, Tasman, West Coast, Canterbury, Mid Canterbury and South Canterbury unions. ... Super 14, or Super 12 as it was known from 1996 through 2005, is a Rugby Union championship competed for by teams from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. ... Canterbury Crusaders rugby team logo (fair use) This is a copyrighted and/or trademarked logo. ... Date of Birth: 28 November 1977 Place of Birth: Wairoa, New Zealand Height: 1. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... Reuben David Thorne (born January 2, 1975 in Christchurch) is a New Zealand rugby union player, and former captain of the national team, the All Blacks. ... Richard Hugh Richie McCaw (born December 31, 1980 in Oamaru) is one of New Zealands top rugby players. ... Scott Robertson (born 21 August 1974) is a rugby union footballer, who plays Flanker for Perpignan. ... Date of Birth: 5 August 1973 Place of Birth: Gore, New Zealand Height: 1. ... Caleb Ralph Caleb Stanley Ralph (born 9 September 1977 in Rotorua) is a New Zealand rugby union international. ... Aaron Joseph Douglas Mauger (last name pronounced Major; born 29 November 1980 in Christchurch) is a rugby union footballer who plays at first five-eighths and second five-eighths for Canterbury (National Provincial Championship), the Crusaders (Super 12) and the New Zealand All Blacks. ... Nathan Keith Mauger (born 8 April 1978 in Christchurch, New Zealand) is a rugby union player who is playing for Hawkes Bay in the Air New Zealand Cup. ... Marika Vunibaka (born 3 November 1974) is a Fijian rugby union footballer. ... Leon Raymond MacDonald (born 21 December 1977 in Blenheim) is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. ... Gregory Edward Feek (born 20 July 1975 in New Plymouth) is a New Zealand rugby union player who has played 10 tests for the All Blacks between 1999 and 2001 as a prop. ... Corey Flynn (born 5 January 1981 in Invercargill) is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays in the position of hooker. ... Date of Birth: 26 March ,1979 Place of Birth: Westport, New Zealand Height: 1. ... Robert Maxwell Deans, better known as Robbie Deans (born 4 September 1959 in Cheviot New Zealand) is the current coach of the Crusaders rugby union team, and a former All Black. ...