Nigel Vagana

Nigel Vagana

Vagana in 2008
Personal information
Full name	Nigel Faletoese Vagana
Nickname	Pablo, Chiko
Born	(1975-02-07) 7 February 1975 (age 42) Auckland, New Zealand
Playing information
Height	183 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight	87 kg (13 st 10 lb; 192 lb)
Position	Centre, Five-eighth, Wing
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1996 Auckland Warriors 1 0 0 0 0 1997 Warrington Wolves 20 17 0 0 68 1998–00 Auckland Warriors 70 37 0 0 148 2001–03 Canterbury Bulldogs 76 61 0 0 244 2004–06 Cronulla Sharks 61 32 0 0 128 2007–08 South Sydney Rabbitohs 32 10 0 0 40 Total 260 157 0 0 628 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 1995–08 Samoa 2 2 0 0 8 1998–06 New Zealand 37 19 0 0 76

Nigel Vagana (born 7 February 1975) is a New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. A New Zealand and Samoa international representative backline player, he retired as the Kiwis' all-time top try-scorer with 19. Vagana played club football in New Zealand for the Warriors, in England for Warrington and in Australia for the Bulldogs, Cronulla-Sutherland and finally South Sydney. Vagana had represented the New Zealand national team 32 times between 1998 and 2006, including playing in the 2000 World Cup. He is also the cousin of Bradford Bulls prop-forward Joe Vagana and former Silver Ferns netball player Linda Vagana.

Vagana played for the Auckland Colts at fullback in the grand final of the 1995 Lion Red Cup. He was selected as part of the Samoa national team for the 1995 World Cup, but did not play a game. During the 1996 Auckland Warriors season Vagana made his first appearance for the club at centre. He also was selected in the New Zealand Nines team that competed in the Super League Nines tournament in Fiji. The side won the title, New Zealand's first world trophy.

Vagana left New Zealand to play in 1997's Super League II season for English club, Warrington Wolves at five-eighth. The following year he returned to Auckland and resumed playing at centre for the Warriors in the newly formed National Rugby League alongside his cousin Joe Vagana. He was selected to make his debut for the New Zealand national team in the 1998 Anzac Test against Australia from the internchange bench. Vagana finished the 1998 Auckland Warriors season as the club's top try scorer.