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| Personal information | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Christopher Heighington | |||||
| Born | 14 January 1983 Camden, Sydney, Australia |
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| Height | 187 cm (6 ft 2 in) | |||||
| Weight | 144 kg (22 st 9 lb) | |||||
| Playing information | ||||||
| Position | Lock, Second-row | |||||
| Club | ||||||
| Years | Team | Pld | T | G | FG | P |
| 2003–2012 | Wests Tigers | 201 | 39 | 0 | 0 | 156 |
| 2013– | Cronulla Sharks | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 211 | 39 | 0 | 0 | 156 | |
| Representative | ||||||
| Years | Team | Pld | T | G | FG | P |
| 2008–2009 | Prime Minister's XIII | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008–2011 | Country Origin | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | England | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 2013 | NRL All Stars | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| As of 18 March 2013 | ||||||
| Source: League Central, Rugby League Project | ||||||
Chris Heighington (born 14 January 1983 in Camden, New South Wales) is an Australian born England international rugby league footballer for the Cronulla Sharks of the National Rugby League (NRL). A Country NSW representative lock forward, he has also been selected to represent England at international level. He previously played with the Wests Tigers, winning the 2005 NRL Premiership with them.
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Playing career [edit]
A Umina Bunnies junior, Heighington made his debut for Wests Tigers in 2003. He made seven appearances from the bench that year, and was a backup again in 2004. By 2005 he had cemented his place in the team and played from the interchange bench in the Tigers' 30–16 victory in the 2005 NRL grand final over the North Queensland Cowboys.
Heighington won the award for Wests Tigers' Player of the Year for 2008.[1] He was selected to play in the 2008 Country Origin side as well as the Prime Minister's XIII team which visited Papua New Guinea.[2] He was called into the 2009 Prime Minister's XIII for the injured Luke Lewis to play against Papua New Guinea.[3]
Before the start of the 2011 season, Ricky Stuart named Heighington in a "Blues in Waiting" squad, for potential future NSW State of Origin players. He was described as one of the players, "on the cusp of selection."[4]
Having played in every game of the 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011 seasons, Heighington set the record for most appearances by a Wests Tigers player in 2012, surpassing the milestone previously set by John Skandalis.[5] He played in 20 games in 2012, and was one of the NRLs leaders in offloads, making 31 during the season.[6]
Described by team-mate Benji Marshall as, "the heart and soul of Wests Tigers on and off the field,"[7] the club controversially released him after failing to make the semi-finals in 2012.[8] Signing a three year contract with the Cronulla Sharks, Heighington said, "'I don't know what to say except I'm a bit disappointed. I thought I would be a one-team player but, at the end of the day, if the coach doesn't want you, he doesn't want you."[8]
England national rugby league team [edit]
2011
Considered by some unlucky to have not played State of Origin,[9] Heighington has a British passport through his father, and was eligible to represent England if he chose to (Heighington’s father Tom emigrated to Australia in his early-20s from County Durham, an area the family have retained strong links with, including their association with the village of Heighington near Darlington).[7] [10][11] Heighington took up the option in 2011 and was named in the England train-on squad for the 2011 Four-Nations. Coach Steve McNamara noting, "His work-rate and work ethic are first class."[12]
Heighington played in the warm up test against France and also the opening game of the 2011 Four Nations against Wales. He scored his first international try against Wales after Gareth Widdop put Heighington over the line. Heighington played in all the preliminary games of the Four Nations, scoring a further try, but was ruled out of participating in the final.[13]
Career highlights [edit]
- First Grade Debut: 2003 – Round 1, Wests Tigers v St George Illawarra Dragons, Stadium Australia, Sydney, 15 March.
- Premierships: 2005 – Wests Tigers defeated North Queensland Cowboys 30 - 16 in the Grand Final at Stadium Australia, Sydney, 2 October.
- NSW Country Origin Debut: 2008 – NSW Country Origin v NSW City Origin, WIN Stadium, Wollongong, New South Wales, 2 May.
- NSW Country Origin Selection: 2008, 2011
- Prime Minister's XIII Debut: 2008 – Prime Minister's XIII v Papua New Guinea, Lloyd Robson Oval, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, 27 September.
- Prime Minister's XIII Selection: 2008-2009
- England Test Debut: 2011 – Rugby League Four Nations Round 1, England v Wales, Leigh Sports Village, Leigh, England, 29 October.
- England Test Squad Selection: 2011
Off-field [edit]
Heighington posed with teammates Dene Halatau, Beau Ryan and Chris Lawrence for the Gods Of Football charity calendar.
References [edit]
- ^ Chris Karas (2008-10-08). "Sports News". The Weekly Times. Retrieved 2009-07-04.
- ^ Wayne Cousins. "Players all okay after big win". www.tigers.org.au. Retrieved 20 February 2009.[dead link]
- ^ "St George Illawarra five-eighth Jamie Soward called up for Country". Fox Sports. 2009-05-04. Retrieved 2009-05-04.
- ^ "Stuart names 'Blues in waiting'". ABC News. 13 January 2011. Retrieved 29 March 2011.
- ^ Glenn Jackson (26 March 2012). "Terry towels up stuttering Tigers as Raiding party rules the west". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
- ^ "NRL STATISTICS". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 12 September.
- ^ a b Glenn Jackson (21 June 2010). "Heighington may play for England". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
- ^ a b Daniel Lane (23 September 2012). "Heighington speaks out". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
- ^ "Heighington channels Tiger great Pearce". ABC News. 21 September 2010. Retrieved 22 December 2010.
- ^ Chris Heighington to play for England | thetelegraph.com.au. Dailytelegraph.com.au (2010-07-16). Retrieved on 2011-09-24.
- ^ Heighington turns back on Poms to chase blue jersey. Watoday.com.au (2011-01-27). Retrieved on 2011-09-24.
- ^ "Wests Tigers lock Chris Heighington selected in England squad and set for Four Nations campaign". Fox Sports. 19 September 2011. Retrieved 25 September 2011.
- ^ James Hooper (20 November 2011). "The Kangaroos have sent Darren Lockyer out on a high note after big win in Four Nations". Sunday Telegraph (Sydney). Retrieved 21 November 2011.
External links [edit]
- Chris Heighington at NRL.com
- Chris Heighington at Wests Tigers
- Chris Heighington at the Rugby League Project
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