Rico Gear might have been a quiet achiever during his first stint as a Crusader in 2001, but the widely travelled threequarter quickly made up for that the second time around. Returning as a local in 2005, after signing with Nelson Bays, Gear scored a startling 15 tries to set a new record by an individual player in one Super rugby season, which provided a major bonus for the Crusaders as they romped towards their fifth title of the Super 12 era. While the scoring opportunities weren’t as plentiful in 2006 and 2007, with opposing defensive lines well and truly on guard, Gear was still able to provide plenty of attacking thrust and contributed a further 15 tries to the cause in his final two campaigns. An All Black between 2004 and 2007, Gear kicked off his representative career with his hometown Poverty Bay union.