Anscombe broke onto the rugby scene after he was the top scorer at the 2011 IRB Junior World Championships scoring 84 points, including 18 points in a 33-22 win over England in the final to guide his native New Zealand to a world title.
He had an impressive 2012 ITM Cup campaign and was the top point scorer in the competition, earning a Super Rugby contract with the Blues. He made his Super Rugby debut for the Blues, against the Chiefs in 2012 and represented Auckland in the ITM Cup since his first year out of school in 2010.
His stylish performances helped guide the Chiefs to 2013 Super Rugby success, as he finished top scorer with 166 points from 13 games across the season, including five tries, as his team were crowned the best in the Southern Hemisphere.
Dual qualified due to his Welsh mother, Anscombe headed north in 2014, linking up with Cardiff Blues, for whom he has played over 76 times for scoring over 600 points, the most notable undoubtedly being the 78th minute penalty he kicked to secure a 31-30 win over Gloucester in Bilbao in 2018 year, clinching the European Rugby Challenge Cup for his team.
His test debut came for Wales at Principality Stadium in August 2015, a Rugby World Cup warm-up match against Ireland, his first senior international start at Twickenham two months later, against Australia.
With 26 caps and now established as first choice for Wales in the number 10 shirt, he has played a huge part in the country’s record breaking winning run, starting seven of the nine test matches this season at outside half, including four of the five wins in the Six Nations Grand Slam success.
In April 2019, Anscombe ended rumours linking him with a move away from Wales when he confirmed that he would leave Cardiff Blues for rivals Ospreys, the move allows him to continue to represent Wales.
He cruelly missed out on the World Cup after sustaining an ACL injury in one of the warm up games.
Anscombe left Ospreys at the end of the 2022/23 season. He will be heading to Japan after the Rugby World Cup 2023 as he has signed with Tokoyo Suntory Sungoliath for the 2024 season. He will not be available for next years Six Nations, but hopes to continue his international career.
Ahead of the Rugby World Cup 2023, Anscombe has been named in the training squad for Wales.
ML August 2023
Career
Gloucester Rugby Fly Half |
2024 - present | |
Blues Fly Half |
2010 - 2012 | |
Chiefs Fly Half |
2013 - 2014 | |
Auckland Fly Half |
||
Cardiff Rugby Fullback |
2014 - 2019 | |
Ospreys Fly Half |
2019 - 2023 | |
Barbarians Fly Half |
2023 - 2023 | |
Wales Fly Half |
2015 - 2024 | |
Tokyo Sungoliath Fly Half |
2023 - 2024 |