Bradley Mika, a hulking forward who was born in Auckland of Samoan parentage, was only 21 when he was introduced to the All Blacks for the 2002 end of year tour of England, France and Wales. And as he had been identified from his first XV schoolboy days with selection in national age group sides, it would have been an automatic assumption that he was destined for a long international career.

But the three appearances he had on the 2002 tour, (a start against France in which he was replaced by Keith Robinson after 60 minutes, plus appearances from the bench against England and near fulltime against Wales), were to be his only ones in All Black colours.

While he was to be a feature of Auckland representative sides for the next five seasons he never came close to national consideration again. Perhaps he had the misfortune to be something of an “in-betweener.”

Though powerfully built at 120kg, Mika was not much more than 1.95m, which in modern rugby is not tall for a top international lock. Mika later in his career was used more as a No 8 and, if his power was often effective, he probably didn’t quite have the mobility and agility of an outstanding back row forward.

Another obstacle was that he played all of his representative rugby for Auckland, where competition for forward places, either at lock or in the loose forwards, was always intense.

That competition meant that most of his Super 12/14 rugby was away from his home Blues franchise as a draft player. His 50 games at this level were split among the Blues, the Crusaders and the Hurricanes and in none of those sides was he ever assured of a starting place.

However, it was some dynamic performances for the Crusaders in the 2002 Super 12, which may have helped win him an All Black spot. His 2002 Crusaders coach was Robbie Deans, who at the time was also the All Blacks’ assistant coach to John Mitchell.

Mika was back with the Crusaders when the 2006 Super 14 title was won and he also played in many championship and trophy-winning Auckland sides. He was in the Blues side which beat the Crusaders for the 2003 Super 12 title and was in Auckland sides which lifted the Ranfurly Shield from Canterbury in 2003 and 2007 and which won national championships in 2003-03-05 and 07.

Mika departed for an overseas contract at the end of the 2007 season, having played 140 first class games, of which 80 had been for Auckland.

Profile by Lindsay Knight
for the New Zealand Rugby Museum.

FULL NAME

Bradley Moni Mika

BORN

Tuesday, 2 June 1981 in Auckland

AGE

29

PHYSICAL

1.98m, 123kg

POSITION

Lock

LAST SCHOOL

St Peter's College (Auckland)

RUGBY CLUB
(First made All Blacks from)

Otahuhu

PROVINCE

Auckland

SUPER 14 TEAM

Blues

ALL BLACK DEBUT

Saturday, 9 November 2002
v England at London
aged 21 years, 160 days

INTERNATIONAL DEBUT

Saturday, 9 November 2002
v England at London
aged 21 years, 160 days

LAST TEST

Saturday, 23 November 2002
v Wales at Cardiff
aged 21 years, 174 days

ALL BLACK TESTS

3 (0 as Captain)

ALL BLACK GAMES

0 (0 as Captain)

TOTAL ALL BLACK MATCHES

3 (0 as Captain)

ALL BLACK TEST POINTS

0pts

ALL BLACK GAME POINTS

0pts

TOTAL ALL BLACK POINTS

0pts

ALL BLACK NUMBER

1024

The All Black Games that Mika played.
(+) = substitute; (-) = replaced

Click on the date to be taken to the Match Card

2002

 9 Nov vs England at London 28-31 (+) 

 16 Nov vs France at Paris 20-20 (-) 

 23 Nov vs Wales at Cardiff 43-17 (+) 

Mika did not score any points for the All Blacks.

Test Record by Nation

P

W

D

L

t

c

p

dg

pts

England

1

-

-

1

-

-

-

-

-

France

1

-

1

-

-

-

-

-

-

Wales

1

1

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Totals

3

1

1

1

0

0

0

0

0