# Grant Batty > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Grant_Batty > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Grant_Batty.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grant_Batty > Source revision: 1334336637 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|New Zealand rugby union footballer (1951–2026)}} {{Use British English|date=August 2011}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}} {{infobox rugby biography | image = | birth_name = Grant Bernard Batty | birth_date = {{birth date|1951|8|31|df=yes}} | birth_place = [Greytown](/source/Greytown%2C_New_Zealand), New Zealand | death_date = {{death date and age|2026|01|16|1951|8|31|df=yes}} | death_place = [New South Wales](/source/New_South_Wales), Australia | height = {{convert|1.65|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | weight = {{convert|65|kg|lbs|abbr=on}} | ru_position = [Wing](/source/Wing_(rugby_union)) | provinceyears1 = 1970–1975 | provinceyears2 = 1976–1977 | province1 = [Wellington](/source/Wellington_Rugby_Football_Union) | province2 = [Bay of Plenty](/source/Bay_of_Plenty_Rugby_Union) | provinceapps1 = | provincepoints1 = | repyears1 = 1972–1977 | repteam1 = {{nrut|New Zealand}} | repcaps1 = 15 | reppoints1 = 16 | school = [Kuranui College](/source/Kuranui_College) }} '''Grant Bernard Batty''' (31 August 1951 – 16 January 2026) was a New Zealand [rugby union](/source/rugby_union) footballer. A diminutive but effective [wing](/source/Wing_(rugby_union)) for the [All Blacks](/source/All_Blacks), Batty played domestically for [Wellington](/source/Wellington_Lions) and [Bay of Plenty](/source/Bay_of_Plenty_Rugby_Union). A crowd favourite, he was usually the smallest man on the field. Nicknamed "Batts", he was also known as "Twinkle Toes" or "Pocket Rocket" for his small size, explosive acceleration, and fearless combative approach. His rugby career was cut short by a knee injury, leading to his retirement in 1977 at age 25. ==Early life== Batty was born in [Greytown](/source/Greytown%2C_New_Zealand) on 31 August 1951, and educated at [Kuranui College](/source/Kuranui_College).{{cite web |url=https://stats.allblacks.com/all-players/profile/Grant-Batty-AB-715 |title=Grant Batty |publisher=New Zealand Rugby |access-date=17 January 2026}} ==Rugby career== In his career, Batty played 102 first class matches and scored 109 tries. He stated his three favourite tries out of the 45 he scored for New Zealand to be: * his second try against [the Barbarians](/source/Barbarian_F.C.) at Cardiff on 27 January 1973. The All Blacks lost that game 11-23 but Batty said he had previously tried and failed twice to beat [J. P. R. Williams](/source/J._P._R._Williams) so he tried a kick and won the chase. * his second try against [New South Wales](/source/New_South_Wales_Waratahs) on 18 May 1974 when the All Blacks won 20–0 at Sydney. His teammate [Duncan Robertson](/source/Duncan_Robertson) pumped a high kick to the opposition's goal line which dropped into Batty's arms. * his try against the [British Lions](/source/British_%26_Irish_Lions) at [Athletic Park](/source/Athletic_Park%2C_Wellington) on 18 June 1977 won 16–12 by the All Blacks. Batty intercepted a pass thrown by [Trefor Evans](/source/Trefor_Evans) and despite a crippling knee injury ran over 50 metres to score the try chased by [Graham Price](/source/Graham_Price) and the fast gaining [Andy Irvine](/source/Andy_Irvine_(rugby_union)). This was Batty's last test match. Batty's biography, "Grant Batty", was written by Bob Howitt and published in 1977.{{Cite book |last=Howitt |first=Bob |title=Grant Batty: a biography |date=1977 |publisher=Rugby Press |isbn=978-0-9597553-0-5 |location=Auckland}} ==Later life and death== After retiring, Batty won the New Zealand edition of the televised multi-sport competition ''[Superstars](/source/Superstars_(American_TV_program))'' for three years running from 1977 to 1979. After a failed hotel venture in the 1980s, Batty and his family moved to Australia. He coached various teams in [Queensland](/source/Queensland), including a spell as assistant coach for the [Queensland Reds](/source/Queensland_Reds), and in 2004-2005 he coached Japanese [Top League](/source/Top_League) team [Yamaha Jubilo](/source/Yamaha_Jubilo). He later lived in the small rural community of [Wallabadah](/source/Wallabadah), New South Wales.[https://www.pressreader.com/new-zealand/nz-rugby-world/20210601/282076279939171 Gone Bush], NZ Rugby, 1 June 2021, via pressreader Batty died in Queensland on 16 January 2026, at the age of 74.{{Cite news |date=2026-01-17 |title=Former All Blacks wing Grant Batty dies, aged 74 |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/sport/584329/former-all-blacks-wing-grant-batty-dies-aged-74 |access-date=2026-01-17 |work=[RNZ News](/source/RNZ_News)}}{{cite news |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/former-all-blacks-wing-grant-batty-dies-aged-74-in-queensland/IMLOEVJPVBDHDBLHKD4JMA5VZI/ |title=Former All Blacks wing Grant Batty dies, aged 74 in Queensland |first=Ben |last=Francis |date=17 January 2026 |work=[The New Zealand Herald](/source/The_New_Zealand_Herald) |access-date=17 January 2026}} ==Views of other rugby players== [Chris Laidlaw](/source/Chris_Laidlaw) likened Batty to [Robert Muldoon](/source/Robert_Muldoon), 'small, stunted and radiating a single message to all around him: "Don't mess with me or I'll punch your lights out."' {{cite book|title=Rights of passage : beyond the New Zealand identity crisis|last=Laidlaw|first=Chris|location= Auckland, N.Z.|publisher= Hodder Moa Beckett|year=1999|page=101}} ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== * {{All Blacks|new_id=Grant-Batty-AB-715|old_id=43}} * {{ESPNscrum}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Batty, Grant}} Category:1951 births Category:2026 deaths Category:Wellington rugby union players Category:Bay of Plenty rugby union players Category:New Zealand international rugby union players Category:New Zealand rugby union coaches Category:New Zealand rugby union players Category:Rugby union wings Category:People from Greytown, New Zealand Category:People educated at Kuranui College Category:20th-century New Zealand sportsmen {{NewZealand-rugbyunion-bio-1950s-stub}} --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Grant Batty](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grant_Batty) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grant_Batty?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.