Ruben Wiki

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Ruben Wiki
Personal information
Full name Ruben Wiki
Date of birth January 21, 1973 (1973-01-21) (age 35)
Place of birth South Auckland, New Zealand
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight 108 kg (17 st 0 lb)
Nickname(s) Jake The Muss
Club information
Position(s) Prop
Current club New Zealand Warriors
Youth clubs
Years Club
Otahuhu Leopards
Youth representative teams
Junior Kiwis
Senior clubs*
Years Club Apps (points)
1993 - 04
2005 -		 Canberra Raiders
New Zealand Warriors		 225 (240)
72 (48)
Representative teams
1994 - 06 New Zealand 55 (60)

* Professional club appearances and points
counted for domestic first grade only.

Ruben Wiki, ONZM (born January 25, 1973 in South Auckland, New Zealand) is a professional rugby league player for the New Zealand Warriors in the Australasian National Rugby League (NRL) competition. Wiki, of Samoan and Maori heritage, played 55 test matches for New Zealand between 1994 and 2006, the most test matches played by any rugby league footballer in the world (as at April 2008).[1] He captained the New Zealand national rugby league team in 18 of those tests.[1]

Wiki is contracted with the Warriors until the end of the 2008 season. He previously played with the Canberra Raiders for over 10 years, playing alongside such greats as Mal Meninga, Bradley Clyde and Ricky Stuart. At 35 years of age in 2008, he is the oldest player in the NRL.[1]

Initially a centre, Wiki now plays predominantly at prop forward though he can also play in the second row.

Contents

[edit] Honours

Wiki was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) in 2007 for his services to rugby league.[2]

In 2006, he was named in a Kiwi All Time XIII at a gala awards dinner celebrating New Zealand's centenary of rugby league alongside his good friend Stacey Jones. Wiki and Jones are the only recent players to be named in the side with the majority of the players being from the "immortal" 1950-60s side and the destructive 1980s team.

[edit] Kava

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

[edit] From inspirational player to legendary captain

Wiki's physical approach to the game made him inspirational as a centre.

Alongside close friend and All Black captain-to-be Tana Umaga, Wiki wreaked havoc for the Junior Kiwis.

In 1994, he teamed up with Kangaroo legend, Mal Meninga (who was recently listed in the Australian Rugby League's Team of the Century, as centre to score a premiership win for the Canberra Raiders.

[edit] Representative Football

Wiki will probably be remembered most as the captain of the Kiwi team that scored an historic 24–0 win over the Kangaroos in 2005.[1] This was the first series win since 1978 and the first time in 20 years that New Zealand had kept Australia scoreless in a test match.

During that same period, his former junior Kiwi team mate Tana Umaga, was also captaining his team, the All Blacks to an undefeated tour of the England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland.

[edit] Retirement from international rugby league

After playing his 55th test match in the 2006 Tri Nations final Ruben Wiki announced his retirement from the international game along with other New Zealand veterans Nigel Vagana and Stacey Jones. New Zealand lost the final in golden point extra time 12-16 after the scores were locked at 12-all after 80 minutes.

Also in 2006, Wiki's biography, Ruben Wiki, was published.

[edit] 2008 and beyond

wiki has just signed a two year contract with the super league outfit castleford tigers and will also remain part of the coaching staff.

[edit] Career highlights

  • 2008 - The oldest regular first grader in the NRL
  • 55 test caps for Kiwis 1994-2006 before retiring from representative football
  • 18 tests as Kiwi captain 2003-2006
  • 2006 - Set a 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.
  • 1994 - Won a premiership with the Canberra Raiders club.
  • 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

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d "Wiki - Pedia", New Zealand Herald, 2008-05-02. Retrieved on 2008-05-02. 
  2. ^ Wiki stunned and humbled by Queen's Birthday honour. Rleague.com (2007-06-04). Retrieved on 2007-06-04.

[edit] External links

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