Steven Paul Bates (born 16 January 1980 in

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about I ...

, New Zealand) is a New Zealand

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the Comparison of rugby league and rugby union, two codes of ru ...

footballer, whose usual position is at Number 8. He played for

Waikato Waikato () is a local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipa District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton City, as well as Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsula, t ...

at provincial level and the Chiefs in the Super 14. Bates made the traditional

All Blacks The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 198 ...

route to the top with appearances for New Zealand Secondary Schools, New Zealand U-19 and the U-21s, during this time he played

Rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...

and was good enough to be selected for the

Warrior A warrior is a person specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracies, class, or caste. History Warriors seem to have ...

s U-19s. He has only played one test so far for his nation (v Italy 2004). Currently, Bates resides in

Fuchu Fuchu, King of Chu (), clan name Xiong, () was from 227 to 223 BC the last king of the state of Chu during the late Warring States period The Warring States period () was an era in ancient Chinese history characterized by warfare, as well ...

, Japan with

Top League Japan Rugby League One (formerly the Top League) is a rugby union competition in Japan. It is the highest level of professional rugby competition in the country. The Japan Rugby Football Union created the competition in 2003, by absorbing the ...

team Toshiba Brave Lupus under Australian coach

Joe Barakat Joe Barakat (born 23 February 1963) is an Australian rugby union Coach. He has just returned home from two years in Japan as a forwards and defense coach for the NTT Communications Shining Arcs in Tokyo, Japan after an extensive national and int ...

, with other New Zealand players Richard Kahui and David Hill.

Notes and references

See also