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Nikora Broughton
Full name	Nikora S.M. Broughton
Date of birth	5 September 2001 (age 23)
Place of birth	Patea, New Zealand
Height	188 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Weight	103 kg (227 lb; 16 st 3 lb)
School	Hato Paora College
Rugby union career
Position(s)
Position(s)	Number 8, Flanker
Current team	Bay of Plenty, Highlanders
Senior career
Years	Team
2021–	Bay of Plenty
2023–	Highlanders
	Correct as of 1 November 2022

Nikora Broughton (born 5 September 2001)^[1] is a New Zealand rugby union player, who currently plays as a loose forward for Bay of Plenty in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition^[2] and will play for the Highlanders in Super Rugby Pacific from 2023.^[3]

Early life and career

Broughton is the son of former Wellington midfield back Norm Broughton (1992–2002, 59 games).^[4]

He attended Hato Paora College and is a former player and captain of the college's 1st XV team.^[5] While still at school, Broughton played representative rugby at age-grade level for Manawatu^[6] and the Hurricanes.^[7]

After finishing secondary school, Broughton headed to the Bay of Plenty region in the north-east of New Zealand's North Island, where he initially played his club rugby for Arataki Sports Club. On 4 September 2019, he was named in the Bay of Plenty Toa (Under 19) team for that year's Jock Hobbs Memorial National U19 tournament.^[8] The following year, then playing his club rugby for the Rangiuru Sports Club, Broughton was again selected for the Bay of Plenty Toa team for a series of games against other provincial under 19 sides.^[9]

In April 2021, Broughton played for the Chiefs Under 20 squad that won the first ever Super Rugby Aotearoa Under 20 tournament that was held in Taupō, after remaining unbeaten in all three rounds.^[10]^[11] A year later, he again played for the winning and unbeaten team of the tournament, however, this time that was the New Zealand Barbarians Under 21 team.^[12] He was one of the stand-outs of his team during the tournament and created a highlight by chipping the ball over his head at 5m from the Highlanders Under 20's try line. Barbarians team mate Will Gualter caught the ball and dotted down for a try.^[13]

Senior career

On 27 July 2021, Broughton was named in the Bay of Plenty wider training group for the 2021 Bunnings NPC season.^[14] He played his first NPC game for the Steamers on 15 August 2021 against Southland and scored a try on debut.^[15] He played 7 games for Bay of Plenty that first season and was, later that year, named the Bay of Plenty Steamers' "Rookie of the Year" at the province's end-of-year awards function.^[16]

As a result of his good performance for Bay of Plenty, Broughton was one of five young players who were invited to train with the Chiefs ahead of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season.^[17] Later in the year, on 26 July 2022, Broughton was named in the Bay of Plenty squad for the 2022 Bunnings NPC season, this time as a full squad member.^[2]

After another good season playing for Bay of Plenty, Broughton was rewarded with a Super Rugby contract. On 26 October 2022, he was named in the Highlanders squad for the 2023 Super Rugby Pacific season.^[3]

International career

On 21 September 2018, Broughton – who is of Ngāti Ruanui, Ngā Rauru and Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi descent – was named in the New Zealand Māori Under 18 team for a two-match series against New Zealand Barbarians Schools and Fiji Schools.^[18] A year later, in 2019, he was again named in the New Zealand Māori Under 18 team. The team again played a game against Fiji Schools as well as a game of three halves against New Zealand Schools and New Zealand Barbarians Schools.^[19]

Reference list

^ "2022 NPC Media Guide Bay of Plenty". New Zealand Rugby. 2022. Archived from the original on 30 October 2022. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
^ ^a ^b "Introducing the 2022 Steamers Squad". Bay of Plenty Rugby Union (Press release). 26 July 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
^ ^a ^b "Highlanders 2023 Squad Announcement" (Press release). Highlanders. 26 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
^ "Norman Joseph R Broughton NZ Rugby History profile". NZ Rugby History. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
^ "Schools' unseemly rugby player-napping is almost out of control". Stuff New Zealand. 4 October 2018. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
^ "Manawatu Under 16 side to face Wanganui". Manawatu Rugby (Press release). 13 September 2017. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
^ "Hurricanes U17 Squad". College Sport Media. 12 November 2017. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
^ "Balanced side selected for Jock Hobbs tournament". Bay of Plenty Rugby Union (Press release). 4 September 2019. Archived from the original on 4 September 2019. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
^ "2020 Bay of Plenty Toa squad named". Bay of Plenty Rugby Union (Press release). 9 September 2020. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
^ "2021 University of Waikato Chiefs Under 20's squad confirmed". Chiefs (Press release). 10 March 2021. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
^ "Chiefs go unbeaten in Under 20s tournament". allblacks.com. 17 April 2021. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
^ "New Zealand Barbarians U21s squad". Wairarapa Bush Rugby Union (Press release). 18 May 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
^ "Baabaa News" (PDF). The New Zealand Barbarian Rugby Club. 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
^ "Steamers Squad Named for 2021 Bunnings NPC Premiership". Bay of Plenty Rugby Union (Press release). 27 July 2021. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
^ "Flying Fijian Onisi Ratave stars on NPC debut for Bay of Plenty in win over Southland". Stuff New Zealand. 15 August 2021. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
^ "Bay of Plenty rugby's best of the best honoured at awards night". Bay of Plenty Times. 6 November 2021. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
^ "'They're learning some harsh lessons': Baptism by fire for young Chiefs". RugbyPass. 31 January 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
^ "New Zealand Māori Under 18 team named". RugbyHeartland.co.nz. 21 September 2018. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
^ "New Zealand Māori U18 teams named". College Sport Media. 14 September 2019. Retrieved 31 October 2022.