About Matthew Ridge
Matthew John Ridge (born 27 August 1968) is a New Zealand television presenter, and a former rugby union and rugby league footballer. A fullback in both codes, Ridge played rugby union for Auckland and became an All Black, but never won an international cap. He turned professional in 1990 with the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles of the New South Wales Rugby League, and was one of two Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles to sign with the Super League which led to him winning the 1996 ARL Premiership. He later captained the Auckland Warriors and New Zealand national team (the Kiwis). An accurate goal-kicker, he set several scoring records in rugby league. He is now best known for his work in television alongside his partner Marc Ellis in shows including Game of Two Halves and Marc & Matthew's Rocky Road to…. Ridge had established himself as Auckland's undisputed first-choice fullback by 1989, and national selectors were drawn to his fearless defensive play and offensive flair. At the age of 19, he made his first-class debut for Auckland in 1988 when he replaced the injured Lindsay Harris in a historic Ranfurly Shield defence against Canterbury.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.