Rugby League: Mates rally after Tawera Nikau loses leg

By AINSLEY THOMSON

The rugby league community is rallying to support former Kiwi international Tawera Nikau, whose leg has been amputated after a motorcycle accident.

The Yellow Ribbon charity, for which Nikau is a patron, will donate to his family part of the money raised in the Fight for Life boxing event, being held in two weeks.

The 36-year-old, who played 19 tests for the Kiwis between 1989 and 1997 and captained New Zealand Maori at the rugby league World Cup, severely injured his leg on June 1 after the motorcycle he had recently bought and an oncoming car collided on a rural road near Huntly.

At least five operations were performed on the leg but complications arose, and on Wednesday, surgeons at Waikato Hospital were forced to amputate just below the knee.

Former Kiwi Terry Hermansson said he spoke to his close friend on Wednesday night.

"He was pretty down and that. But he said, 'I have two beautiful children to be strong for, and there are people worse off than me'. "That's just the type of bloke he is. He's a champion."

Hermansson said Nikau, who was best man at his wedding, suffered a blood clot soon after the accident, and then the injury became infected.

"He said his leg was stuffed."

Three years ago, Nikau's wife, Letitia, committed suicide while the family were living in Warrington, England.

At the end of 2001, he and his children, Heaven-Leigh and Tyme-Kane, returned to Huntly, and Nikau turned his attention to coaching league.

"He has been through tragedy, which has made him stronger," Hermansson said.

Another former Kiwi league player, Brent Todd, said Nikau's old team-mates were thinking of him and wishing him well.

"It's so sad that such a great athlete has had so many bad things happen to him."

The tragedy of his wife's suicide prompted Nikau to become involved in the Yellow Ribbon youth suicide prevention programme.

Last year, he fought former Auckland and Manu Samoa rugby prop Peter Fatialofa in the Fight for Life, and has been a Yellow Ribbon patron for two months.

Yellow Ribbon chief executive Keith Pittman, who is also executive director of NZ Rugby League, said between $10,000 and $15,000 from the money raised in the Fight for Life would go to Nikau and his family.

"He has done a lot for children and for sport. He is a strong-willed and determined man and he will fight back from this."

Nikau played for Otahuhu before heading to England and playing for York and Castleford.

He went to Australia and joined Cronulla, then the Melbourne Storm, where he was in the 1999 NRL grand final winning side.

Nikau returned to England to play for Warrington.