| Personal information | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Christopher Heighington | |||||
| Born | 14 January 1983 Camden, Sydney, Australia |
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| Height | 187 cm (6 ft 2 in) | |||||
| Weight | 101 kg (15 st 13 lb) | |||||
| Playing information | ||||||
| Position | Lock, Second-row | |||||
| Club | ||||||
| Years | Team | Pld | T | G | FG | P |
| 2003– | Wests Tigers | 181 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 144 |
| Representative | ||||||
| Years | Team | Pld | T | G | FG | P |
| Prime Minister's XIII | ||||||
| 2008–2011 | Country Origin | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | England | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| As of 16 November 2011 | ||||||
| Source: League Central, Rugby League Project | ||||||
Chris Heighington (born 14 January 1983 in Camden, New South Wales) is an Australian born England international rugby league footballer for the Wests Tigers of the National Rugby League (NRL). A Country NSW representative lock forward, he has also been selected to represent England at international level. He has played his whole NRL career to date with the Tigers, winning the 2005 NRL Premiership with them. Teammate Benji Marshall describes him as, "the heart and soul of Wests Tigers on and off the field."[1]
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A Umina Bunnies junior, Heighington made his debut for Wests Tigers in 2003. He made seven appearances from the bench that year, and was a backup again in 2004. By 2005 he had cemented his place in the team and played from the interchange bench in the Tigers' 30–16 victory in the 2005 NRL grand final over the North Queensland Cowboys.
Heighington won the award for Wests Tigers' Player of the Year for 2008.[2] He was selected to play in the 2008 Country Origin side as well as the Prime Minister's XIII team which visited Papua New Guinea.[3] He was called into the 2009 Prime Minister's XIII for the injured Luke Lewis to play against Papua New Guinea.[4]
Before the start of the 2011 season, Ricky Stuart named Heighington in a "Blues in Waiting" squad, for potential future NSW State of Origin players. He was described as one of, "on the cusp of selection."[5]
Having played in every game of the 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011 seasons, Heighington has made 181 appearances for the Wests Tigers, the most of any player currently with the club.
2011
Considered by some unlucky to have not played State of Origin,[6] Heighington has a British passport through his father, and was eligible to represent England if he chose to (Heighington’s father Tom emigrated to Australia in his early-20s from County Durham, an area the family have retained strong links with, including their association with the village of Heighington near Darlington).[1] [7][8] Heighington took up the option in 2011 and was named in the Lions train-on squad for the 2011 Four-Nations. Coach Steve McNamara noting, "His work-rate and work ethic are first class."[9]
Heighington played in the warm up test against France and also the opening game of the 2011 Four Nations against Wales. He scored his first international try against Wales after Gareth Widdop put Heighington over the line. Heighington played in all the preliminary games of the Four Nations, scoring a further try, but was ruled out of participating in the final.[10]
Heighington posed with teammates Dene Halatau, Beau Ryan and Chris Lawrence for the Gods Of Football charity calendar.
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