Mils Muliaina

Lore & Background

Born in Salelesi, Samoa, Muliaina moved with his family to Invercargill, New Zealand, at the age of three. He first attended Cargill High School then Southland Boys' High School, before being offered a scholarship to Kelston Boys' High School in Auckland in 1998. He played for the NZ Secondary Schools XV, the Under 19 side, and the Under 21 (NZ Colt) teams, winning world championships at each level. Muliaina joined the Auckland Blues in 2001 and was part of their Super 12 title-winning team in 2003. His test debut for the All Blacks was against England on 14 June 2003 at Westpac Stadium in Wellington. He was part of the All Black squad at the 2003 Rugby World Cup. In 2004, he was the only player selected for every test played by the All Blacks. He also played in 11 tournaments for the sevens team, winning a Commonwealth Games gold medal in 2002. In 2006 he joined the Chiefs, with whom he brought up his 100th Super Rugby cap in 2011. Muliaina played his 100th game for the All Blacks on 9 October 2011 during the World Cup quarter-final against Argentina, but fractured his shoulder and was dropped from the squad. He retired from the All Blacks the following day, 10 October 2011, and returned on 23 October 2011 to claim his gold medal after the All Blacks won the 2011 Rugby World Cup final. He later signed a one-year contract with Connacht in the Pro12, debuting on 21 November 2014. In July 2015 he was charged with sexual assault following an incident in a Cardiff night club; the charge was dropped in October 2015 on evidential grounds. In March 2016 it was announced he would play for San Francisco Rush in the PRO Rugby competition.

In Their Own Story

The rain slicked the grass at Eden Park, but Mils didn't slip. He took the pass, head down, eyes locked on the gap. The opposition defender lunged, knees bending low for the tackle, but Mils drove through, his shoulder a battering ram against the contact. Mud stained his black jersey as he surged forward, ignoring the pain in his ribs. The crowd roared, sensing another line broken by the warrior at inside centre.

Reader's Guide

Muliaina played primarily as a fullback, but also as a centre or wing. He scored 33 tries for New Zealand and remains among the top 40 highest try scorers in rugby union. He became only the second All Black to reach 100 caps, doing so during the World Cup quarter-final against Argentina in 2011.

Did You Know?

• Muliaina became only the second All Black to reach 100 caps, during the 2011 World Cup quarter-final against Argentina.
• He scored 33 tries for New Zealand and remains among the top 40 highest try scorers in rugby union.
• He won a Commonwealth Games gold medal in sevens rugby in 2002.
• His nephews include Mika, who plays for the Highlanders and Baby Blacks.