Nicky Little
Nicky Tyrone Little (born 13 September 1976) in Tokoroa, New Zealand, is a rugby union footballer. He plays at fly-half. He is a nephew of All Blacks centre Walter Little, but represents Fiji at international level.
Birth name | Nick Tyrone Little | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Date of birth | 13 September 1976 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Tokoroa, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 96 kg (15 st 2 lb; 212 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
School | Mosman Park Primary, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
University | Te Awamutu College, NZ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Notable relative(s) | Walter Little (Uncle) Lawrence Little (Uncle) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Career
He has scored 652 points for Fiji and is the Pacific region's second highest point scorer of players who are currently active. He previously played for Canterbury and North Harbour in New Zealand provincial rugby, before moving to England where he played for the Sale Sharks in late 1999. He signed with Dax in France, but soon moved to Pontypridd, before signing with the Saracens.
Little made his test debut for Fiji in 1996 in a match against the Springboks in Pretoria, at just 19 years of age. He finished the 2000 and 2001 Pacific Rim tournaments as the top points scorer. He entered the 2003 Rugby World Cup as Fiji's all-time highest points scorer, with 488 points. He got four caps for Fiji at the 2003 World Cup, scoring a total of 45 points in those games. At the 2007 event he starred as Fiji defeated Wales to reach the quarter-finals, but was injured late in the final group game, after straining his medial knee ligaments and missed the quarter-final.
On 15 July 2009, it was announced that Little had signed a one-year deal with Bath, with Head Coach Steve Meehan stating that he would be in the squad for the tour to Portugal in late July 2009.
On 26 February 2010 it was announced that Little would be playing for Bristol Rugby from the 2010–11 season onwards.[1] But at the end of the 2010/2011 season it was announced that Little would be part of the clearout of players departing Bristol Rugby.
At the midpoint of the 2011/12 season, it was announced that Little was joining RFU Championship side Esher RFC.
At the start of the 2012/13 season Little became part of a joint venture with Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys, and The Canterbury High School. Canterbury's Elite Rugby Player Development Centre, headed by Little, is the first of its kind within the country and its aim is to develop grass roots rugby within the area.
References
- "Fijian star Little joins Bristol". BristolRugby.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2 March 2010. Retrieved 19 April 2010.