Ben Atiga
| Full name | Benjamin Alo Charles Atiga | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 5 May 1983 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Auckland, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 175 cm (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 99 kg (218 lb; 15 st 8 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Auckland Grammar School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable relative(s) | George Skudder (uncle) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Benjamin Alo Charles Atiga (born 5 May 1983 in
Early life and education
Atiga's Samoan grandfather played in the first Samoan international team and others in his family also played international rugby for Tonga and New Zealand.[1]
He was educated at Auckland Grammar School and became the 50th All Black that the school has produced.[citation needed]
Atiga won world titles for New Zealand at Under-19 (2001 and 2002) and Under-21 level in 2003 and as captain in 2004, during his junior career. He was also part of the Under-21 team in 2002 where they placed 3rd in the tournament.[citation needed]
Playing career
Atiga played one test for the
After his break from rugby, in April 2010 it was announced that he would rejoin the Auckland Rugby Union and the Auckland Blues. After a season in Auckland, Atiga was signed by the
In April 2012, he signed with Edinburgh Rugby for two seasons. At the beginning of the season, Atiga was diagnosed with degenerative arthritis in his hip. He played both seasons with Edinburgh and retired from professional rugby at the end of the 2013–2014 season due to the joint disease.
Player wellbeing
Atiga has been open about his struggles with wellbeing whilst playing.[3] As of 2019, he works with Scotland Rugby in the area of player wellbeing.[4][5][6]
References
- ^ "In conversation with: Ben Atiga".
- ^ "Atiga looks up to Cullen". IRB.com. 20 October 2003. Archived from the original on 3 May 2005. Retrieved 21 March 2008.
- ^ "'I got to a really dark place that I didn't even know I was in': Ex-All Black Ben Atiga and former Fijian stars open up on mental health struggles".
- ^ "'Speaking to someone in a suit can be terrifying' - the hidden doubts of professional rugby players". BBC Sport.
- ^ "In conversation with: Ben Atiga".
- ^ "Former All Black Ben Atiga's pastoral role with Scotland's pro players is more vital than ever".
External links
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