Christian Cullen
Cullen in Fiji
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| Full name | Christian Mathias Cullen | ||||||||||||||||
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| Nickname | Paekakariki Express | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 12 February 1976 | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Paraparaumu, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) | ||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 85 kg (13 st 5 lb; 187 lb) | ||||||||||||||||
| School | Kapiti College | ||||||||||||||||
| Notable relative(s) | Brian Steele (great-uncle) | ||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||
| Playing career | |||||||||||||||||
| Position | Centre, Fullback, Wing | ||||||||||||||||
| New Zealand No. | 952 | ||||||||||||||||
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| Professional / senior clubs | |||
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| Years | Club / team | Apps | (points) |
| 2003–06 | Munster | 44 | (75) |
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Correct as of 12 July 2014
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| Provincial/State sides | |||
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| Years | Club / team | Apps | (points) |
| 1994 1995–96 1997 1998–2003 |
51 |
(231) |
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Correct as of 12 July 2014
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| Super Rugby | |||
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| Years | Club / team | Apps | (points) |
| 1996–2003 | Hurricanes | 85 | (308) |
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Correct as of 12 July 2014
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| National team(s) | |||
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| Years | Club / team | Apps | (points) |
| 1996–2003 | New Zealand | 58 | (236) |
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Correct as of 12 July 2014
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| Sevens national teams | |||
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| Years | Club / team | Comps | |
| 1995–96 | New Zealand | 5 | |
| Medal record | ||
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| Men's rugby sevens | ||
Representing  New Zealand
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| Commonwealth Games | ||
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1998 Kuala Lumpur | Team competition |
Christian Mathias Cullen (born 12 February 1976 in Paraparaumu) is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer. He played most of his rugby at fullback for New Zealand (the All Blacks), for the Hurricanes in the Super 12, and for Manawatu, Wellington and later Munster at provincial level. He was nicknamed the Paekakariki Express and was considered to be one of the most potent running fullbacks rugby has ever seen. With 46 tries scored in 58 Tests, Cullen is the 9th-highest try-scorer in international rugby.
Cullen was born and grew up in Paekakariki, a small town north of Wellington. He is the youngest of three children. He has an elder twin brother named Shane and a sister named Anita. His rugby talent emerged in his high school years and he was selected in the New Zealand secondary schools team in 1993 and 1994.
He played senior rugby for Manawatu in 1995 and scored 70 points through 12 tries, two conversions and two penalty goals. He was selected to the New Zealand sevens squad for tournaments in Fiji and Hong Kong.
Cullen's provincial career started in 1996 season. He played in the first-ever Super 12 game, contested by the Hurricanes and the Blues. That year he scored seven tries in nine matches.
At the 1996 World Sevens competition in Hong Kong he scored 18 tries, including seven in one match. Later that year he was selected as an All Black. He scored seven tries in his first two Test matches: a hat-trick on debut against Samoa and four tries against Scotland. He sustained a knee cartilage injury on the All Blacks' tour to South Africa.
In 1997 Cullen returned from injury and scored 11 tries in 10 games for the Hurricanes, and 12 tries in 12 Test matches for the All Blacks.
The All Blacks had a poor year in 1998 with five consecutive losses, but Cullen scored four tries in seven matches. He represented New Zealand in rugby sevens at the Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games, playing seven games, scoring nine tries and kicking 23 conversions. New Zealand won the tournament and the gold medal.
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