Michael Mika

Michael Alaifatu N. Mika (born 24 July 1968) is a New Zealand district court judge and former Samoan rugby union player. He played as Prop.

Michael Mika
Date of birth (1968-07-24) 24 July 1968
Place of birthLower Hutt, New Zealand
Height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight252 lb (114 kg)
UniversityOtago University
Rugby union career
Position(s) Prop
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
1992-1994
1994-1995
1996-1998		 Otago University
Star
Kaikorai		 ()
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1998-99 Coventry RFC[1] ()
Provincial / State sides
Years Team Apps (Points)
1992-95
1997-98		 Otago
Southland		 49
14		 (20)
(0)
Super Rugby
Years Team Apps (Points)
1996-1998 Otago Highlanders 15 (0)
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1995-1999  Samoa 15 (0)

Rugby career

Mika was born in Lower Hutt, and first played for Samoa during the quarter-finals against South Africa during the 1995 Rugby World Cup. Although he was part of the 1999 Rugby World Cup roster, playing three matches in the tournament,[2] with his last international cap being during the match against Wales, at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff.

Mike Mika played for Otago and was a member of the Otago team that defeated the British and Irish Lions in 1993.[3][4] Mike Mika played for Otago between 1992 and 1997, then for Southland in 1997 and 1998, He also played for the Highlanders between 1996 and 1998. Between 1999 and 2003 Mike Mika played for Coventry RFC.[5] He also represented New Zealand Universities in 1992, 1993 and 1995.[6]

Post-rugby career

Currently, he works as lawyer at Preston Russell Law, based in Invercargill.[7] He is a SANZAAR Judicial Technical Advisor and performs the same role on the World Rugby Judicial Panel. He is also a Judicial Officer of the Oceania Rugby Judicial Panel.[8]

From 2010 to 2021 he served as deputy president of the Invercargill Licensing Trust board, resigning after being appointed as a district court judge by Attorney-General David Parker.[9]

In April 2021, he became first Pasifika judge appointed to a district court outside Auckland, as a resident judge at the Hutt Valley District Court in Lower Hutt.[10]

References
  1. "RUGBY UNION: Mika bids fond farewell to Cov. - Free Online Library".
  2. "Rugby Union - ESPN Scrum - Statsguru - Player analysis - Mike Mika - Test matches". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  3. "Rugby Union: Mauled Lions hurt in all manner of ways: Battered". The Independent. 23 October 2011. Archived from the original on 14 May 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  4. "Lions tour: How Otago's famous win over the British and Irish Lions revolutionised rugby". Stuff. 12 June 2017. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  5. "Mike Mika". Skills With Mils. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  6. "Michael Alaifatu N Mika | New Zealand Rugby History". www.rugbyhistory.co.nz. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  7. "Mike Mika — Roar Sports". www.roarsports.co. Archived from the original on 16 January 2017.
  8. "Mike Mika • Preston Russell Law". www.prlaw.co.nz. Archived from the original on 2 June 2016.
  9. Rowe, Damian (4 February 2021). "Invercargill lawyer Mike Mika appointed district court judge". Stuff.co.nz.
  10. Tso, Matthew (9 April 2021). "Former Samoa rugby star becomes first Pasifika judge appointed outside Auckland". Stuff.co.nz.
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