A New Zealand age-grade prodigy, Atiga’s trophy-littered career kicked off when he left Auckland Grammar School in 2001, when he lifted the IRB’s Junior World Championship trophy on his second and third outings in the tournament, reaching the semi-final in 2002, picking up the Junior World Player of the Year award in 2003 and captaining the side to glory in 2004. His international honours were followed by his four-year tenure at the Auckland Blues before pulling on the famous black jersey once again, this time at Twickenham for Gordon Tietjens’ HSBC Sevens World Series winning New Zealand side of 2007.
Over the course of his first season, Atiga approached the fitness that made him a stand-out centre in his junior years, however a knee injury sustained in the Heineken Cup interupted his debut season until the spring, one to keep an eye on for sure.
Updated 11/9/13 AO'R
Career
 |
New Zealand Outside Centre |
2003 - 2003 |
 |
Blues Outside Centre |
2004 - 2008 |
 |
Otago Outside Centre |
2011 - 2011 |
 |
Highlanders Outside Centre |
2011 - 2011 |
 |
Edinburgh Rugby Outside Centre |
2012 - 2014 |
