Adam Watene
| File:Adam Watene.jpg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | Adam Cook 7 October 1977 New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 13 October 2008 (aged 31) Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 17 st 0 lb (108 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Prop | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: [1] As of 4 May 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relatives | Frank Watene (brother) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Adam Watene (7 October 1977 – 13 October 2008), known as Adam Cook early in his career, also known by the nicknames of "Morlock", "Monster", and "The Gentle Giant", was a Cook Islands international rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s. He played at club level in Australia for the Wynnum Manly Seagulls, Burleigh Bears, and in England for the Castleford Tigers, the Bradford Bulls and the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats as a prop.[2]
Background
[edit | edit source]Watene was born in New Zealand. He was of Maori, and Cook Islander descent.[3]
He grew up with fellow rugby league footballer, Adam Wright. Adam was the younger brother of rugby league footballer, Frank Watene.
Career
[edit | edit source]As Adam Cook he won caps for Cook Islands in the 2000 Rugby League World Cup.[4][5]
Watene played for Wynnum Manly Seagulls and Burleigh Bears in the Queensland Cup in Australia before moving to the UK in 2005 to join the Castleford Tigers in National League One. In his last season with the Burleigh Bears he won the 2004 Queensland Cup. His move to Castleford was in doubt because of visa issues which led to him being chased by the Gateshead Thunder but eventually he joined Castleford.[6]
In 2005 Watene helped the Castleford Tigers gain promotion to Super League and played alongside his brother Frank Watene.[7] He was signed by Brian Noble in 2006 for the Bradford Bulls[8] but only spent one year at the club before leaving for the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats.[9] In 2007 Watene had an outstanding season, despite missing part of the year due to injury and the death of his father.[10]
Death
[edit | edit source]On 13 October 2008 Wakefield announced that he died of a suspected heart attack at the age of 31 after collapsing during a weight training session in the gym.[11][12]
Jason Demetriou wore Watene's number 8 jersey in the season after Watene's death to honour his memory.[13]
Personal life
[edit | edit source]Watene had a wife, Moana Watene, and two children.[14]
At the time of his death he held the ceremonial position of the consort of Wakefield's deputy mayor, Heather Hudson.[10]
Legacy
[edit | edit source]Two of Watene's former clubs in each hemisphere compete for specially commissioned trophies named in his honor.
Since 2009 Castleford Tigers and Wakefield Trinity have chosen one of their fixtures to contest the Adam Watene trophy.[15][16]
And in the Southern Hemisphere Burleigh Bears and Wynnum Manly Seagulls play annually for the Adam Watene trophy.[17]
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ Rugby League Project
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Wales v Cook Islands preview bbc.co.uk, 27 October 2000
- ^ Cook is off the Menu - Thunder Evening Chronicle, 20 January 2005
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Bradford sign Tigers prop Watene
- ^ Wakefield sign duo from Bradford
- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Adam Watene's death from heart attack stuns Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, David Burke, Daily Telegraph, 13 October 2008
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
External links
[edit | edit source]- 1977 births
- 2008 deaths
- 21st-century New Zealand sportsmen
- Bradford Bulls players
- Burleigh Bears players
- Castleford Tigers players
- Cook Island expatriate rugby league players
- Cook Island expatriate sportspeople in England
- Cook Island expatriate sportspeople in Australia
- Cook Island rugby league players
- Cook Islands national rugby league team players
- New Zealand rugby league players
- New Zealand expatriate rugby league players in Australia
- New Zealand expatriate rugby league players in England
- New Zealand Māori rugby league players
- Rugby league props
- Sport deaths in England
- Wakefield Trinity players
- Wynnum Manly Seagulls players