Elevate+ Player Spotlight: Nick Grigg Petone

Petone’s Nick Grigg has established himself as one of the most dangerous midfield backs in the Swindale Shield. He first caught the attention of Club Rugby in 2011 in his first year in the Petone Premiers when he scored a stunning 50-metre solo try against Norths, beating Alapati Leiua and others on the way to the try line. He’s already scored four tries in three matches this year (above crossing for his try last week against Tawa), after playing for the Hurricanes Development? XV in their charity match against Sydney Shute Shield club Northern Suburbs in March. Out of Newlands College, he’s studying architecture at Victoria University when his mind's not on rugby.

Name: Nick Grigg

Club: Petone

Playing positions: Second five-eighth, centre or wing

Secondary school attended: Newlands College

Premier debut: Versus Avalon, Swindale Shield 2011 [scored a try on debut]

First rugby club/team played for as a junior: Johnsonville U7s

Earliest rugby memory: Scoring my first try in my first rugby game for Johnsonville U7s against Wests at Ian Galloway park in the blistering hail.

Playing position (s) growing up: First five-eighth, second five-eighth, blindside flanker and PROP. Yes Prop for the Wgtn U13’s!!!!

Favourite memory from school/First XV rugby: Playing against 1st division teams in pre-season matches and trying as hard as we could to beat them.

Age-group teams or other representative teams played for: U13 Wellington, Wellington U16B, Wellington U18B, Wellington U20A, Wellington Lions Development team, one game for the Hurricanes Development team.

Favourite memory watching? rugby: Watching Jonah Lomu walk over the English in Test matches for the All Blacks.

Favourite rugby player: Christian Cullen. He was small but still scored lots of tries.

Favourite non-rugby sports team: The Breakers basketball team.

Best ground to play on: First: Westpac Stadium; Second: Porirua Park.

Hobbies outside of rugby: Guitar, graphic design, basketball, martial arts.

Best/worst subjects at school: Best subjects: P.E, Drama, Maths and Graphics.

Worst subjects: Science and English.

Outside of rugby: I Study architecture at Victoria university

Favourite superhero: Batman

Favourite movie or TV show: Game of Thrones

My signature dish is: Chicken fettuccini

A motto I live by is: Winners are losers that never gave up.

Best piece of advice from my parents: Make sure to enjoy life inside and outside my comfort zone.