Dylan Mika

Dylan Mika was a tall (1.94m) and athletic loose forward who emerged as an exceptional prospect in a starring role for Auckland at a national sevens tournament in the early 90s. Even though he never made a national sevens squad Mika impressed especially with his skills in the air.

Mika went on to a worthy career but without perhaps becoming the great player he he promised to be in his early years. He was undoubtedly unfortunate to be in Auckland at a time when both the provincial side and the Blues Super 12 franchise had an abundance of backrow riches.

When Mika entered first class rugby Michael Jones and Zinzan Brooke were still in their prime and others who were also vying for Auckland places were Charles Riechelmann, Mark Carter and Andrew Blowers.

But between 1994 and 2000 Mika achieved 55 games for Auckland and 23 Super 12 games for the Blues. Some of his advancement, too, was slowed by the fact he appeared for Samoa, for which he qualified by parentage, in seven matches in 1994-95.

He was identified as a possible All Black by coach John Hart when he took over in 1996 and significantly Mika went on that year’s end of the season short tour of Britain with the Barbarians. But international eligibility was then becoming a vexed issue and his games for Samoa in 1994-95 meant he had to observe a three-year standown period.

In 1999, when he was drafted to the Chiefs for that year’s Super 12, he re-emerged as an All Black contender. Playing either blindside flanker or No 8, Mika had his best Super 12 season and often captained the Chiefs.

He was thus introduced for the All Blacks that year. He came on as a substitute in the warmup match in Christchurch against New Zealand A and had his first full game for the All Blacks in the test against Manu Samoa at Albany. Samoa that night was captained by his first cousin, Pat Lam.

Mika then played in the rout at Athletic Park of France and in the 1999 tri-nations appeared twice against Australia and as a substitute against South Africa. At the 1999 World Cup, though, he was only lightly used, playing only the full match against Italy in which he scored a try and coming on as a replacement for the last 20 minutes of the plate match against South Africa.

That ended Mika’s All Black involvement. In 2000 after playing for Auckland in the NPC and the Blues in the Super 12 he took up a contract in Japan. Like a player of similar age and an All Black in 2000, Jason O’Halloran, Mika was an insulin-dependent diabetic. 2002 All Black lock Bradley Mika is a relative.