Ruben Wiki

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Ruben Wiki

Ruben Wiki (born January 25, 1973 in Auckland, New Zealand) is a New Zealand rugby league player for the New Zealand Warriors in the National Rugby League competition. He is contracted until the end of the 2008 season. He also previously played for the Canberra Raiders for over 10 years.

Wiki has also represented New Zealand on more than fifty occasions between 1994 and 2005. Wiki is the current captain of the New Zealand team. Initially a centre, Wiki now plays predominantly at Prop Forward though he can also play in the second row.

Wiki is famous for drinking a bowl of the Pacific island drink kava after each match, which he credits for his longevity in the game.

After playing his 55th test match in the 2006 Tri Nations final Wiki announced his retirement from the international game. New Zealand lost the final in golden point extra time 12-16 after the scores were locked at 12-all after 80 minutes.

[edit] Career highlights

2006 - Wiki sets a new record for the most first grade NRL games by a New Zealander, surpassing Stephen Kearney's mark of 264 games.
2005 - Was awarded man of the match in his 50th test for the Kiwis In the same match he also became the first player ever to receive 50 test caps for their country. New Zealand won this historic test against Australia 24-0 and consequently beat Australia for the first time in a series since 1953.
Junior Club: Otahuhu Leopards
First Grade Debut: Round 11, Canberra v South Sydney at Canberra Stadium, June 13, 1993
Career Stats: By the end of the 2006 NRL season, Wiki had played 266 first-grade career games, scoring 69 tries