Chris Nahi
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Christopher Hamuera Nahi | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 11 September 1973 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 182 cm (6 ft 0 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Prop, Second-row | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Christopher Nahi (born 11 September 1973) is a former professional rugby league footballer. He has played representative rugby league for both the New Zealand Māori team and the Rest of the World side.
Playing career
[edit]Nahi played for the Federal United club in the Northern Territory Rugby League competition.[2] In 1994 Nahi toured Queensland and New South Wales with the Northern Territory Representative side.[3]
Between 1996 and 1998 he played for the Gold Coast Chargers team, playing in 46 first grade matches. In 1997 he was cited for biting Darren Senter in a match against Balmain. Nahi alleged he was racially abused by Senter.[4] It was during this time that he was selected in the Rest of the World team to play Australia during the Super League war.
In 2001 he played for the Eastern Suburbs Tigers in the Queensland Cup.[5] In 2002 and 2003 he played for the Burleigh Bears.[6][7]
In 2008 Nahi played for the Currumbin Eagles in the Bycroft Cup competition on the Gold Coast.[8] After playing in the grand final he tested positive for D-Amphetamine and D-Methamphetamine. As a result, he was banned by the Queensland Rugby League until 1 October 2010.[9]
Representative career
[edit]After touring Papua New Guinea with the team in 1998, Nahi was selected to be part of the Aotearoa Māori side that played in the 2000 World Cup.[10] He also played for New Zealand Māori in 2002 against Tonga.[11]
Controversy
[edit]Nahi was involved in a police raid which uncovered over 1000 ecstasy tablets in 2005, during the raid Nahi fled and remained on the run for eight days before handing himself into police.[9] He was charged with "deprivation of liberty, the unlawful use of a motor vehicle, obstructing police, firearm and drug related offences".[12][13] Nahi was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in jail for possessing a commercial quantity of ecstasy tablets in 2006 and convicted of the "deprivation of liberty" charge.[14]
Redemption
[edit]During 2016, his final stint in jail Nahi turned to God. The day after leaving prison, he checked into an intensive rehabilitation program in Tweed Head, New South Wales. [15]
Nahi was deported from Australia in 2017, following which he focused on using his experiences to help others break the chains of addiction.
Nahi opened Victory House Recovery Program on 23 November 2018.[16]
References
[edit]- ^ "Chris Nahi - Career Stats & Summary - Rugby League Project". Rugbyleagueproject.org.
- ^ Police search widens for former league player The NT Drug News Vault, 28 November 2005
- ^ Northern Territory Representative Sides 1993–1997 Northern Territory Rugby League
- ^ Steve Mascord Racial abuse claim with ARL Sydney Morning Herald, 25 June 1997
- ^ 2001 Queensland Cup Statistics – East Coast Tigers Archived 15 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine rleague.com
- ^ Burleigh Bears QLD Cup Player Roster Archived 8 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine burleighbears.com
- ^ Round 22 Qld Cup teams & predictions rleague.com, 22 August 2003
- ^ Graham Callaghan Tweed Seagulls knock on Wood goldcoast.com.au, 17 May 2008
- ^ a b Nahi banned Archived 5 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine The Age, 10 April 2009
- ^ New Zealand Rugby League Annual '98, New Zealand Rugby Football League, 1998. p.118
- ^ "Rugby League: Maori thrash Tonga". The New Zealand Herald. 6 October 2002. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
- ^ "Kiwi flees Gold Coast drug raid". Television New Zealand. 25 November 2005. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
- ^ Former rugby league international faces string of charges[dead link] AAP General News, 1 December 2005
- ^ "League player jailed for ecstasy stash". Television New Zealand. 11 July 2006. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
- ^ "Footy Fugitive". interactives New Zealand. 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
- ^ "Victory House". New Zealand. 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
- 1973 births
- Living people
- New Zealand rugby league players
- New Zealand Māori rugby league players
- New Zealand Māori rugby league team players
- Gold Coast Chargers players
- Burleigh Bears players
- Eastern Suburbs Tigers players
- New Zealand criminals
- Prisoners and detainees of Queensland
- Rugby league second-rows
- Rugby league props
- People convicted of drug offenses
- New Zealand sportspeople convicted of crimes