Chris Nahi

Christopher Nahi 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.

Chris Nahi
Personal information
Full nameChristopher Nahi
Height190 cm (6 ft 3 in)
Playing information
PositionProp, Second-row
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1996–98 Gold Coast Chargers 46 6 0 0 24
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1997 Rest of the World 1 0 0 0 0
1998–02 New Zealand Māori 3 1 0 0 4
Source: [1]

Playing career

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

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

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 his arrest.[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]

Nahi was released from jail in September 2008.[15]

References
  1. "Chris Nahi - Career Stats & Summary - Rugby League Project". Rugbyleagueproject.org.
  2. Police search widens for former league player The NT Drug News Vault, 28 November 2005
  3. Northern Territory Representative Sides 1993–1997 Northern Territory Rugby League
  4. Steve Mascord Racial abuse claim with ARL Sydney Morning Herald, 25 June 1997
  5. 2001 Queensland Cup Statistics – East Coast Tigers Archived 15 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine rleague.com
  6. Burleigh Bears QLD Cup Player Roster Archived 8 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine burleighbears.com
  7. Round 22 Qld Cup teams & predictions rleague.com, 22 August 2003
  8. Graham Callaghan Tweed Seagulls knock on Wood goldcoast.com.au, 17 May 2008
  9. Nahi banned Archived 5 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine The Age, 10 April 2009
  10. New Zealand Rugby League Annual '98, New Zealand Rugby Football League, 1998. p.118
  11. "Rugby League: Maori thrash Tonga". The New Zealand Herald. 6 October 2002. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  12. "Kiwi flees Gold Coast drug raid". Television New Zealand. 25 November 2005. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  13. Former rugby league international faces string of charges AAP General News, 1 December 2005
  14. "League player jailed for ecstasy stash". Television New Zealand. 11 July 2006. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  15. Judge considers ear-cutter conflict goldcoast.com.au, 1 May 2009
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