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Benjamin Alo Charles Atiga (born 5 May 1983 in Auckland) is a former rugby union player and current wellbeing coach. He played centre and fullback, and his coaching focuses on player welfare.

Early life and education

Atiga's Samoan grandfather played in the first Samoan international team and others in his family also played international rugby for Tonga and New Zealand.

He was educated at Auckland Grammar School and became the 50th All Black that the school has produced.

Atiga won world titles for New Zealand at Under-19 (2001 and 2002) and Under-21 level in 2003 and as captain in 2004, during his junior career. He was also part of the Under-21 team in 2002 where they placed 3rd in the tournament.

Playing career

Atiga played one test for the New Zealand national rugby union team, against Tonga in the 2003 Rugby World Cup after being called into the squad as an injury replacement for Ben Blair. He played for the Junior All Blacks in 2005 against Australia 'A' and in 2006 in the inaugural Pacific Nations Cup. Atiga played for Auckland in the NPC, winning three national titles and one title in the 2007 Air New Zealand Cup, where Auckland went through an undefeated season, claiming the Ranfurly Shield in the same year. Atiga played for the Blues in Super Rugby, and in 2007 he joined the All Blacks Sevens team at the end of the Blues' season. After captaining Auckland in the 2008 ITM Cup season, Atiga made the decision to take a break from professional rugby.

After his break from rugby, in April 2010 it was announced that he would rejoin the Auckland Rugby Union and the Auckland Blues. After a season in Auckland, Atiga was signed by the Highlanders for the 2011 season, following numerous injuries in the squad. He started from the bench against the Hurricanes in his return to top tier rugby. He subsequently played the 2011 ITM Cup with Otago.

In April 2012, he signed with Edinburgh Rugby for two seasons. At the beginning of the season, Atiga was diagnosed with degenerative arthritis in his hip. He played both seasons with Edinburgh and retired from professional rugby at the end of the 2013–2014 season due to the joint disease.

Player wellbeing

Atiga has been open about his struggles with wellbeing whilst playing. As of 2019, he works with Scotland Rugby in the area of player wellbeing.

References

1. "In conversation with: Ben Atiga".
2. "Atiga looks up to Cullen". IRB.com. 20 October 2003. Archived from the original on 3 May 2005. Retrieved 21 March 2008.
3. "'I got to a really dark place that I didn't even know I was in': Ex-All Black Ben Atiga and former Fijian stars open up on mental health struggles". May 2020.
4. "'Speaking to someone in a suit can be terrifying' - the hidden doubts of professional rugby players". BBC Sport.
5. "In conversation with: Ben Atiga".
6. "Former All Black Ben Atiga's pastoral role with Scotland's pro players is more vital than ever".

External links

• Blues profile
• Ben Atiga at the All Blacks (archived)

Awards
Preceded by Pat Barnard	IRB International U21 Player of the Year 2003	Succeeded by Jerome Kaino

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