Record beckons for Kiwi sevens veteran
New Zealand sevens star Tim Mikkelson could write himself into the history books today.
Thirteen years on from first pulling on the black jersey, the 33-year-old co-captain is set to surpass DJ Forbes for the most matches played by a Kiwi on the World Rugby Sevens Series.
All going to plan, Mikkelson’s milestone will come in the final at Bankwest Stadium in Sydney, as the series leaders look to secure a third successive title.
Forbes sits on 447 games played, which is second only to England’s Dan Norton, who has clocked up 451 after last weekend’s event in Hamilton.
Assuming Mikkelson features in all three pool games, he would equal Forbes with his next appearance – if that was to be a semifinal then he’d be assured of another fixture – a recordbreaking one.
Not that he’d been counting down, or anything.
‘‘No, I wasn’t actually,’’ Mikkelson told Stuff when asked if he was aware of the impending milestone. ‘‘I knew I was getting up there, but I wasn’t sure what I was on.’’
So how about it, then, all these years since first representing the national side, when Forbes was his captain?
‘‘It’s pretty cool to think that,’’ Mikkelson said. ‘‘I’ve played a lot of rugby with him.
‘‘It’s just awesome to be mentioned alongside a guy like that who I respect a lot and who has done a lot for this jersey.’’
Matamata-born and raised, Mikkelson’s journey to the top has also included representing Waikato and the Chiefs in the 15s game, though not before a New Zealand debut on the World Sevens Series, in 2007.
He remembers his first one vividly, having been called in as a replacement for the tournament in South Africa after playing in an invitational event in Dubai.
‘‘You always dream of putting on the black jersey and running around, and then I suppose when it comes true you’re just a bit overwhelmed,’’ he said. ‘‘I was a bit nervous to get out there, but once you get out there, the guys like DJ and Tomasi Cama and Lote Raikabula, who just took control of the games, and you just fit in and do your role.
‘‘I suppose I just tried to always be round the ball with those guys because they were just so good and experienced, and was able to find a way to make a play off them.’’
New Zealand won that tournament, and Mikkelson went on to score 10 tries in his first three tournaments to solidify a real love of the sevens game, which was fostered early by the feats of one Christian Cullen.
‘‘I think it was just space and the pace of the game,’’ he said. ‘‘In 15s, I suppose if you play one position you can get limited touches on the ball. When I play sevens you can have more of a crack.
‘‘I enjoy the fitness side and test myself physically and mentally. So for me it was just a really good fit, and I’ve never looked back.’’
That fitness aspect for Kiwi sevens players has been the stuff of legend over the years, particularly under former coach Sir Gordon Tietjens.
Though, now, Mikkelson said with the advent of technology and GPS-monitored running loads, things are a bit different, including much more gym work.
‘‘When I first started we hardly ever did weights, it was just running,’’ he said.
‘‘It’s just evolved a lot more now, just strength and power, that’s more part of the game.’’
Over the years there’s been several highlights – Commonwealth Games and World Cup successes stand out, while Mikkelson has also been part of five series-winning sides, including four in a row from 2010-11 – 2013-14. He was also named World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year in 2013.
‘‘[In 2011] I got nominated alongside Tomasi Cama, and Cecil Afrika won it, from South Africa, and then the following year Tomasi Cama won it,’’
Mikkelson recalled.
‘‘And when he won it I thought I really wanted to win it as well, follow in his footsteps. It was such a hard year, I played every tournament, and to win the world series and win player of the year was something really special.’’
Then, of course, as he puts it, ‘‘it’s not all roses’’ – notably the Commonwealth Games silver in Glasgow, the Rio Olympics fifthplace failure, and any World Series where a whole year’s work can end up in frustration.
But at the moment, things are sweet, and New Zealand are sniffing their best start to a series since, ironically, the one Mikkelson debuted in.
‘‘Clark Laidlaw and Tomasi Cama, just their coaching has taken us to another level. The last couple of years we’ve struggled a bit with consistency, but we’re really starting to get it now,’’ Mikkelson said, adding that a strong culture in the group was also a big factor.
Signed through until after this year’s Olympics, Mikkelson, now a father to a one-year-old daughter, said he will assess how he’s playing and how his body feels, as to whether he continues postTokyo.
After all, as his impending record tells us, he’s notched a fair few already.
‘‘It’s a lot of honest,’’ he said.
‘‘It only seems like yesterday I was playing my first game. I suppose time flies when you’re having fun with your mates, just playing footy around the world.
‘‘I’ve enjoyed every minute of it, the good and the bad times. But I just love playing for this team.’’
‘‘I enjoy the fitness side and test myself physically and mentally.’’ Tim Mikkelson
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