Mickey Higham

Mickey Higham
Higham while playing for Wigan in 2007
Personal information
Full name Michael Higham
Born 18 September 1980 (1980-09-18) (age 31)
Billinge, Greater Manchester, England
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Weight 86 kg (13 st 8 lb) [1]
Playing information
Position Hooker
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2001–05 St Helens 116 35 0 0 140
2006–08 Wigan Warriors 63 14 0 0 56
2009– Warrington Wolves 47 14 0 0 56
Total 226 63 0 0 252
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2004–2005 Great Britain
2008 England 1 0 0 0 0

Mickey Higham (born 18 September 1980) is an English rugby league player who currently plays for English club Warrington Wolves in the Super League competition. His usual position is Hooker.

Playing career

Higham joined St Helens from Leigh Centurions in November 2000 after scoring 22 tries in Division One and a man-of-the-match display in the Grand Final.[2]

He made his Great Britain debut in the 2004 Gillette Tri-Nations against New Zealand, after recovering from an ankle injury which ruled him out of most of Super League IX.

He made over 100 appearances for St Helens, scoring 33 tries.

Higham joined Wigan Warriors in October 2005 after a transfer deal involving three clubs and fellow hooker Terry Newton. Higham was unable to join Wigan directly as his club, St Helens, would not sell. However, Bradford Bulls stepped in and bought Higham from Saints for £70,000 and then immediately released him to Wigan. In exchange, Wigan allowed Terry Newton to join the Bradford Bulls.

Higham signed a three-year deal with the Warriors and commented: "It looked at one stage as though I would be playing next season at Bradford but when the opportunity to join Wigan came up at the last minute I jumped at it." At Wigan, Higham again teamed up with coach Ian Millward who he had played under at both Leigh and St Helens. Ian was however sacked by Wigan in April 2006 and Mickey is now coached ironically by Brian Noble who was Bradford coach at the time of the "three-club transfer".

Higham's contract at Wigan was not renewed, and he subsequently signed for Warrington Wolves on a two year deal.

In September 2008 he was named in the England training squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup,[3] and in October 2008 he was named in the final 24-man England squad.[4]

He was named in the England team to face Wales at the Keepmoat Stadium prior to England's departure for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup.[5]

He made his England début in the victory over Wales on 10 October 2008.[6]

Higham played for Warrington in the 2010 Challenge Cup Final victory over the Leeds Rhinos.[7]

References

  1. ^ "BBC Sport, Rugby League Brian Carney's Warrington player profiles". web page (BBC). 2009-08-28. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_league/super_league/warrington/8216131.stm. Retrieved 17 August 2011. 
  2. ^ "Tri-Nations: Great Britain profiles". Mail Online (UK: Associated Newspapers). 19 October 2004. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/article-322576/Tri-Nations-Great-Britain-profiles.html. Retrieved 14 February 2011. 
  3. ^ "Myler gets England call". England Rugby League. 2008-09-29. http://www.englandrl.co.uk/article.php?id=11890. Retrieved 2008-10-03. 
  4. ^ "Purdham earns World Cup call-up". BBC. 2008-10-07. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/7656553.stm. Retrieved 2008-10-07. 
  5. ^ "Gleeson to lead new-look England". BBC. 2008-10-09. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/7642490.stm. Retrieved 2008-10-10. 
  6. ^ "England warm up in style". Sky Sports. 2008-10-10. http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12196_4297504,00.html. Retrieved 2008-10-11. 
  7. ^ Scott, Ged (2010-08-28). "Leeds 6-30 Warrington". BBC. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/8938067.stm. Retrieved 2010-08-28. 

External links

Warrington Wolves – current squad