Chris King (rugby union)

Last updated

Chris King
Chris King 2015.jpg
King in 2015
Birth nameChristopher King
Date of birth (1981-04-30) 30 April 1981 (age 43)
Place of birth Ashburton, New Zealand
Height1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight118 kg (18 st 8 lb)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Prop
Senior career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2014-15 Montpellier 11 (0)
2015-17 Pau 30 (5)
2019- Panasonic Wild Knights 0 (0)
Correct as of 18 December 2019
Provincial / State sides
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2002–04 Canterbury 20 (0)
2005–07 Otago 36 (15)
2008–11 Southland 51 (5)
2012–14 Taranaki 11 (0)
2018-19 Canterbury 12 (5)
Correct as of 18 December 2019
Super Rugby
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2003–04 Crusaders 20 (5)
2005–14 Highlanders 107 (25)
2017-18 Crusaders 8 (0)
Correct as of 18 December 2019

Christopher King (born 30 April 1981) is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays for the Panasonic Wild Knights in Japan. His position is tighthead prop. Three years ago he returned from France with his daughters Chloe and Alexis.

Contents

Early life

King was born in Ashburton. He attended St Andrew's College from 1995 to 1999 during which time he played for the First XV for three years. King captained the team in his final year.

Career

Provincial rugby

King started his career in 2002 for Canterbury and was a regular in the squad throughout 2003 and 2004. After the 2004 NPC he was loaned to the Highlanders and Otago. After the 2005 Super 12, King transferred permanently to Otago.

With the departure of Clarke Dermody prior to the 2008 Air New Zealand Cup, King was approached by Southland and chose to transfer further south to Invercargill. He along with Mackintosh and Jason Rutledge made up a formidable front row and the team reaching their first ever semi-final of the Air New Zealand Cup. He continued his strong play for Southland in the 2009 Air New Zealand Cup as the squad reached their 2nd consecutive semi-final, and proved a monumental figure in their week 14 Ranfurly Shield win against his former Canterbury team. [1]

In the 2010 ITM Cup, King joined the rest of his teammates in producing a string of stellar performances during the Stags' extended defence of the Ranfurly Shield.

Super Rugby

King's good form for Canterbury resulted in selection for the Crusaders, appearing in three games during the 2003 Super 12 season as the Crusaders were beaten in the final by the Blues. The following year he played in all 13 matches, mainly off the bench, serving as backup to the All Blacks props Greg Somerville and Dave Hewitt who were the regular starters for the club.

King was loaned to the Highlanders for the 2005 Super 12, but only appeared in 1 match for just 3 minutes. He then transferred permanently to Otago and the Highlanders. He made more of an impression as the Highlanders moved into the Super 14 era in 2006 as he became a regular reserve prop, once again behind two All Blacks in Carl Hayman and Clarke Dermody. In 2007 Super 14, injuries and the fitness programme in the run-up to the 2007 Rugby World Cup (which rested top All Blacks for the first half of the season) saw King receive 7 starts for the Highlanders, his highest total in Super Rugby. After the season both Hayman and Dermody left to play in the United Kingdom leaving Jamie Mackintosh and King as probable starters.

King started the 2008 Super 14 season as the Highlanders' regular tighthead prop, but the emergence of Hawke's Bay giant Clint Newland pushed King once again to the bench as the season went along. The 2009 Super 14 season saw more of the same, although injuries to Mackintosh and Newland saw King receive another 6 starts.

King again started the 2010 Super 14 season as the 3rd choice at prop for the Highlanders behind Mackintosh and Newland, but injury to Mackintosh saw him start the last 6 games of the season, his longest stretch of continuous starts in Super Rugby. During the season, he also joined the select group of players who have made 50 appearances for the franchise.

In the 2011 Super Rugby season, King had the finest year of his career, starting 13 matches for the Highlanders as the first-choice tighthead prop. As of the conclusion of that season, he sits 3rd all-time in appearances at prop for the franchise, behind only Carl Hayman and Carl Hoeft.

Top 14

In 2014, Chris King signed a deal to join French Top 14 side Montpellier.

In May 2015 French Top 14 side Pau, announced the signing of King for the 2015–2016 season. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Highlanders (rugby union)</span> New Zealand professional rugby union team

The Highlanders is a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Dunedin that compete in Super Rugby. The team was formed in 1996 to represent the lower South Island in the newly formed Super 12 competition, and includes the Otago, North Otago and Southland unions. The Highlanders take their name from the Scottish immigrants that founded the Otago, North Otago, and Southland regions in the 1840s and 1850s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Harbour Rugby Union</span> Sports club

The North Harbour Rugby Union (NHRU), commonly known as North Harbour or simply Harbour, is the governing body of rugby union that encompasses a wide geographical area north of Auckland that includes North Shore City, Rodney District, the Hibiscus Coast and part of Waitakere City. There are 12 rugby clubs from Mahurangi RFC, based in Warkworth, Rodney District, in the north through to Massey the southernmost area of the union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rugby Southland</span>

Rugby Southland is the provincial rugby union who govern the Southland region of New Zealand. Their headquarters are at Rugby Park Stadium in Invercargill, which is also the home ground of the union's professional team, the Southland Stags who compete in the Mitre 10 Cup Championship Division and challenge for the Ranfurly Shield.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Cowan</span> Rugby player

Quinton James Cowan is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He first played for the All Blacks – New Zealand's national team – during the 2004 tour to the United Kingdom and France, and played his last Test match for the side during the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Cowan was born in Gore and attended Gore High School. After he left school a strong season for the Mataura Rugby Club saw him selected to play provincially for the Southland Stags in 2000. He was selected for the Highlanders in the 2003 Super 12 season, and continued to play for both the Highlanders and Southland until signing for Gloucester in 2012.

Clarke Dermody is a former New Zealand rugby union player who has gone on to coach professionally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Otago Rugby Football Union</span> Rugby team in New Zealand

The Otago Rugby Football Union is the official governing body of rugby union for the Otago region of New Zealand. The union is based in the city of Dunedin, and its home ground is Forsyth Barr Stadium. The top representative team competes in the ITM Cup, New Zealand's top provincial competition. The union was to have been liquidated in March 2012. However a deal involving the Dunedin City Council allowed it to keep operating. Otago have won the Ranfurly Shield on seven occasions. They were the National provincial championship winners in 1991 and 1998. They have a proud record playing international teams, having defeated South Africa and the British and Irish Lions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Otago Rugby Football Union</span>

The North Otago Rugby Football Union (NORFU) is a New Zealand rugby union province based in Oamaru and compete in the Heartland Championship. They are one of the strongest teams in The Heartland Championship, winning the Meads Cup section of the competition in its second year, 2007 as well as 2010. Their home ground is Whitestone Contracting Stadium, formerly Centennial Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Herring</span> New Zealand rugby union footballer and coach

Ben Herring is a professional rugby coach currently Head coach of Toyota Verblitz. Previously Head coach of the Otago. Herring has coached with two national sides, Canada and Japan, and with two super franchises.

Jason Kawau is a rugby union player currently playing for the Kobelco Steelers in the Top League in Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kendrick Lynn</span> Rugby player

Kendrick Graeme Lynn is a former New Zealand rugby union player. A versatile utility back, he last played for Lyon in the French Top 14 competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamie Mackintosh</span> Rugby player

Jamie Mackintosh is a New Zealand professional rugby union player currently playing for the Austin Gilgronis in Major League Rugby (MLR).

Joshua BekhuisIPA:[/ˈbɛkʰ.ju.əs/] is a professional rugby union player who plays at lock for Honda Heat in the Japanese Top League competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Tuineau</span> Rugby player

Joseph Mark Laifone Tuineau is a Tonga international rugby union footballer. He plays in the lock position for the France based Pro D2 side, Dax. Tuineau also represents Tonga at international level.

Scott Cowan is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays as a halfback for the Southland Stags. He is the younger brother of All Blacks halfback, Jimmy Cowan.

John Hardie is a former New Zealand rugby union player who played most recently for Newcastle Falcons. Hardie predominantly played as an open side flanker. He represented Scotland internationally between 2015 and 2022.

Bronson Murray is a New Zealand rugby union player. A prop, Murray last played provincial rugby for Bay of Plenty and notably Northland in the National Provincial Championship.

Matt Saunders is a former New Zealand rugby union player who played provincial rugby for Southland and initially Otago in the National Provincial Championship. He also represented the Highlanders in the Super Rugby competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jarrad Hoeata</span> Rugby player

Jarrad Hoeata is a professional rugby union player who plays for New Zealand side Taranaki. He made his debut for the All Blacks during the 2011 Tri Nations tournament.

Gareth Evans is a retired New Zealand rugby union player, who played as a loose forward for Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition and the Highlanders in Super Rugby.

Siate Tokolahi is a Tongan rugby union player who played as a prop for Canterbury and Southland in New Zealand's domestic Mitre 10 Cup and the Chiefs and Highlanders in the international Super Rugby competition.

References

  1. Smith, Tony (24 October 2009). "Southland win good for shield rugby". The Press . Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  2. "Chris King, nouvelle recrue !". Montpellier Herault Rugby (in French). 17 June 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2014.