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Tim Mikkelson reflects on legendary 17-year All Blacks Sevens career

Scott Curry and Tim Mikkelson of New Zealand hold the finals cup aloft during the 2020 HSBC Sevens at FMG Stadium Waikato on January 26, 2020 in Hamilton, New Zealand. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

Tim Mikkelson retires as the most-capped player in New Zealand Sevens history. Debuting on the now-called SVNS Series in South Africa 17 years ago, Mikkelson went on to play over 500 matches in the black jersey – a career truly deserving of praise, acclaim, and applause.

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Before the Toulouse Sevens in May 2023, this writer spoke with Sam Dickson about Mikkelson. Dickson was seen wearing a ‘Tim Mikkelson 100’ T-shirt that day to celebrate the history that his teammate was about to make during that event.

No New Zealander had ever played 100 international sevens tournament, but Mikkelson broke new ground in the French city – much like he’d done with various achievements and successes throughout a decorated career in the black jersey.

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At 38 years of age, Mikkelson bows out from professional rugby as a seven-time overall champion on the SVNS Series, a two-time Rugby World Cup Sevens champion, a silver medallist at the Tokyo Olympics, and a two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist.

The man who holds a special place in New Zealand Rugby history as All Black Sevens No. 190 also leaves the sport as the fourth-highest try-scorer in SVNS Series history. Mikkelson was also once named the World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year in 2013.

“Some of the highlights, definitely the first jersey. I worked so hard to get it, it was in the days of (Gordon Tietjens) so it was pretty tough,” Mikkelson said in a New Zealand Sevens video when asked to reflect on his favourite moments.

“I just cherished every minute. Got out there and managed to touch the ball a few times and we actually won the tournament. I had to learn the haka quickly on the sidelines so it’s something I’ll always remember.

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“The Commonwealth Games in Delhi, it was pretty hot… obviously the Olympics, I’m proud of that team and the effort they put in.

“I watched Hong Kong Sevens growing up, I always wanted to play there so going there and playing that, and playing in front of 60,000 people in Hong Kong over three days in the heat is something I’ll never forget.

 

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“To be able to play this long for this team is something I’ll always remember… I love this team. I got to travel the world, I spoke to my best mates and trained with them every day, and to be able to wear the black jersey and represent New Zealand is just even better.

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“I’ll cherish these memories forever.”

On Friday, New Zealand Sevens announced that Mikkelson had retired. But the SSVNS Series icon wasn’t alone, with fellow greats Sam Dickson and Scott Curry also calling time on their well-known careers with the All Blacks Sevens.

Dickson debuted for the All Blacks Sevens at the 2012 Dubai Sevens. The former New Zealand AFL representative went on to win the World Series four times, is a one-time World Cup Sevens winner, and has a bronze, silver and gold medal from Commonwealth Games appearances.

Curry has called time as a six-time World Series champion, who has also tasted success at the Rugby World Cup Sevens, the Commonwealth Games, and he was part of the Team New Zealand side that claimed silver at the postponed Tokyo Games.

All three men also captained the All Blacks Sevens at some stage.

“Scott, Tim and Sam have all made a significant contribution on and off the field to the All Blacks Sevens during their tenure. They have left an incredible mark on the game and have added to the legacy of the All Blacks Sevens,” New Zealand Rugby’s Head of Men’s High Performance, Mike Anthony, said in a statement last week.

“The success they have had in the black jersey is a credit to their leadership, work ethic and dedication to the game. On behalf of New Zealand Rugby, I want to thank them for their incredible service and wish them well for their future endeavours.”

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1 Comment
M
MakeOllieMathisAnAB 9 days ago

Enjoy your retirement you absolute legend.

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JW 3 hours ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Ok, managed to read the full article..

... New Zealand’s has only 14 and the professional season is all over within four months. In France, club governance is the responsibility of an independent organisation [the Ligue Nationale de Rugby or LNR] which is entirely separate from the host union [the Fédération Française de Rugby or FFR]. Down south New Zealand Rugby runs the provincial and the national game.

That is the National Provincial Championship, a competition of 14 representative union based teams run through the SH international window and only semi professional (paid only during it's running). It is run by NZR and goes for two and a half months.


Super Rugby is a competition involving 12 fully professional teams, of which 5 are of New Zealand eligibility, and another joint administered team of Pacific Island eligibility, with NZR involvement. It was a 18 week competition this year, so involved (randomly chosen I believe) extra return fixtures (2 or 3 home and away derbys), and is run by Super Rugby Pacific's own independent Board (or organisation). The teams may or may not be independently run and owned (note, this does not necessarily mean what you think of as 'privately owned').


LNR was setup by FFR and the French Government to administer the professional game in France. In New Zealand, the Players Association and Super Rugby franchises agreed last month to not setup their own governance structure for professional rugby and re-aligned themselves with New Zealand Rugby. They had been proposing to do something like the English model, I'm not sure how closely that would have been aligned to the French system but it did not sound like it would have French union executive representation on it like the LNR does.

In the shaky isles the professional pyramid tapers to a point with the almighty All Blacks. In France the feeling for country is no more important than the sense of fierce local identity spawned at myriad clubs concentrated in the southwest. Progress is achieved by a nonchalant shrug and the wide sweep of nuanced negotiation, rather than driven from the top by a single intense focus.

Yes, it is pretty much a 'representative' selection system at every level, but these union's are having to fight for their existence against the regime that is NZR, and are currently going through their own battle, just as France has recently as I understand it. A single focus, ala the French game, might not be the best outcome for rugby as a whole.


For pure theatre, it is a wonderful article so far. I prefer 'Ntamack New Zealand 2022' though.

The young Crusader still struggles to solve the puzzle posed by the shorter, more compact tight-heads at this level but he had no problem at all with Colombe.

It was interesting to listen to Manny during an interview on Maul or Nothing, he citied that after a bit of banter with the All Black's he no longer wanted one of their jersey's after the game. One of those talks was an eye to eye chat with Tamaiti Williams, there appear to be nothing between the lock and prop, just a lot of give and take. I thought TW angled in and caused Taylor to pop a few times, and that NZ were lucky to be rewarded.

f you have a forward of 6ft 8ins and 145kg, and he is not at all disturbed by a dysfunctional set-piece, you are in business.

He talked about the clarity of the leadership that helped alleviate any need for anxiety at the predicaments unfolding before him. The same cannot be said for New Zealand when they had 5 minutes left to retrieve a match winning penalty, I don't believe. Did the team in black have much of a plan at any point in the game? I don't really call an autonomous 10 vehicle they had as innovative. I think Razor needs to go back to the dealer and get a new game driver on that one.

Vaa’i is no match for his power on the ground. Even in reverse, Meafou is like a tractor motoring backwards in low gear, trampling all in its path.

Vaa'i actually stops him in his tracks. He gets what could have been a dubious 'tackle' on him?

A high-level offence will often try to identify and exploit big forwards who can be slower to reload, and therefore vulnerable to two quick plays run at them consecutively.

Yes he was just standing on his haunches wasn't he? He mentioned that in the interview, saying that not only did you just get up and back into the line to find the opposition was already set and running at you they also hit harder than anything he'd experienced in the Top 14. He was referring to New Zealands ultra-physical, burst-based Super style of course, which he was more than a bit surprised about. I don't blame him for being caught out.


He still sent the obstruction back to the repair yard though!

What wouldn’t the New Zealand rugby public give to see the likes of Mauvaka and Meafou up front..

Common now Nick, don't go there! Meafou showed his Toulouse shirt and promptly got his citizenship, New Zealand can't have him, surely?!?


As I have said before with these subjects, really enjoy your enthusiasm for their contribution on the field and I'd love to see more of their shapes running out for Vern Cotter and the like styled teams.

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