Nicholas Paul Holten (born 10 March 1973) is a New Zealand former professional rugby union player.[1]
| Full name | Nicholas Paul Holten | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 10 March 1973 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Hamilton, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 238 lb (108 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Early life
editBorn to Dutch immigrant parents in Hamilton, Holten is the third youngest of 14 siblings and was raised on a dairy farm in the community of Orini.[2] He picked up rugby during his schoolboy years in Fairfield.[2] While working as a drainlayer in 1994, Holten had his right hand crushed between pipes in a workplace accident, leaving four of his fingers mangled.[2] Doctors were able to save his hand, though he continued to have hampered movement in two middle fingers.[2]
Rugby union career
editA flanker, Holten made his debut for Waikato in 1995.[2] He briefly tried his hand at a code switch two years later when he joined Australian rugby league club Canterbury Bulldogs.[2] Returning to rugby union, Holten played under former All Black Geoff Old on the Netherlands national team in 1998, for a series of Rugby World Cup qualifying matches.[2] He competed for the Chiefs between 1998 and 2000, making 20 appearances in Super 12 competition.[3]
Holten played for several years in Japan with Toshiba Brave Lupus and afterwards moved into coaching. He replaced countryman Dave Dillon as head coach of the Kobelco Kobe Steelers for their 2022–23 Japan Rugby League One campaign, then stood aside after season as the club recruited former Wallabies coach Dave Rennie.[4]
References
edit- ^ "Rugby: Rugby gods give Chiefs nothing to smile about". NZ Herald. 30 June 2000.
- ^ a b c d e f g Gray, Wynne (30 June 2000). "Rugby: It's really the thought that counts". NZ Herald.
- ^ "Nicholas Paul Holten". New Zealand Rugby History.
- ^ "ラグビー、神戸が新体制発表 ニコラス・ホルテン氏がＨＣ就任 新主将に橋本皓". Hochi (in Japanese). 13 July 2022.
External links
edit- Nick Holten at ESPNscrum