Henry Rangi Paul (born 10 February 1974) is a rugby union coach and former rugby league and rugby union player. A dual-code international, Paul won 24 caps for New Zealand in rugby league and 6 for England in rugby union, as well as rugby sevens. Paul played as a loose forward, stand-off, fullback, and occasionally as a hooker, and as a centre and fly-half in rugby union.
He holds the record for kicking the most goals in a Super League season, with 178 for Bradford in 2001, and the record for the most goals in a game, 14, for Bradford in 2000. He is the brother of former New Zealand rugby league international Robbie Hunter-Paul.
Born in Tokoroa, New Zealand, Paul started playing rugby union at the age of three for Ponsonby Rugby Football Club and then rugby league for the Te Atatu Roosters. Later, during his time at Rutherford High School (1990), he led his team to break many Auckland club rugby league team and individual records. The following year, Paul moved to the Point Chevalier Pirates.
In the 1992 season he returned to Te Atatū, debuting in their senior premier team at 18 years of age, making the Auckland Rugby League Finals. That off season, Paul was selected as a utility player for the under-19 Auckland side, playing a major part in his team winning the national tournament. Following that success, Paul was selected as the Junior Kiwis captain to tour England that same off season.
Paul led by example when his team looked "out of sorts", guiding them to memorable victories against their Great Britain counterparts. His form was so inspiring that he earned full New Zealand representative honours on the same tour, when the senior team the (New Zealand Kiwis) hit an injury crisis on a corresponding tour of Britain. Paul, at just 18 years of age, made his test début as a substitute against France.
Paul's form on the Junior, and then subsequently New Zealand team tour, did not go unnoticed by scouts in England and in the off season of 1993/94 he joined Wakefield Trinity of the English Rugby Football League Championship.
He returned to New Zealand for the 1994 season, playing five matches for the Waitakere City Raiders in the new Lion Red Cup. He originally signed for the new Auckland Warriors club who were to enter the Australian Rugby League in 1995 but they released him as part of a deal that allowed Andy Platt to join Auckland from Wigan.
Paul joined Wigan Warriors for the 1994–95 season and quickly established himself in the squad. At the end of Super League's first season, he was named at stand-off half in the 1996 Super League Dream Team. He played at stand-off half back for Wigan Warriors in their 1998 Super League Grand Final victory against Leeds Rhinos.
Paul played fullback in Wigan's 40–10 victory over Warrington in the 1994–95 Regal Trophy final on 28 January 1995, and played stand-off, and scored two tries and 4-conversions in the 25–16 victory over St. Helens in the 1995–96 Regal Trophy on 13 January 1996.
In September 1998, at the end of his contract, he moved to the Bradford Bulls.
Paul played for Bradford Bulls at stand-off half back and scored his team's sole try and goal in the 1999 Super League Grand Final which was lost to St. Helens. Paul scored one of the most famous tries in Super League, running from 60 metres, scoring the first try of the 1999 Super League Grand Final with one boot.
Paul was selected for the New Zealand team to compete in the end of season 1999 Rugby League Tri-Nations tournament. In the final against Australia he partnered his brother Robbie in the halves, kicking six goals in the Kiwis' 22–20 loss. He helped beat his former club Wigan in the 2001 Super League Grand Final. When he was at Bradford he set a goalkicking record for consecutive goals (35), as well as for points in a season at the club.
He won the Lance Todd Trophy for his performance in the 2000 Challenge Cup victory over the Leeds Rhinos.
Paul played for the Bradford Bulls as his brother Robbie's halves partner, kicking four goals and one drop goal in their 2001 Super League Grand Final victory against the Wigan Warriors.
Paul still holds the record for kicking the most goals in a Super League season with 178 for Bradford in 2001. He also still holds the record for the most goals ever scored in a game, being 14, from Bradford's 96 – 16 win against Salford in 2000.
In international rugby league he received 23 caps for New Zealand between 1995 and 2001, competing in the 1995 and 2000 Rugby League World Cups. Upon his return from rugby union in 2006 he qualified for both New Zealand and Great Britain.
Paul spoke to National Rugby League club the Canterbury Bulldogs and Super 12 clubs the Auckland Blues and the Waikato Chiefs. He was eventually tempted away from the Bradford Bulls to play rugby union for Gloucester, by Philippe Saint-André and Tom Walkinshaw.
He had a dream debut for Gloucester, scoring 28 points against Caerphilly. Paul began a four-year contract at Kingsholm in 2001 and won an England A national squad selection after just one game for the Cherry and Whites.