View source for Tamati Ellison

{{Update|date=January 2018}}

{{Use New Zealand English|date=February 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Infobox rugby biography
| name              = Tamati Ellison
| image             =
| birth_name        = Tamati Edward Ellison
| birth_date        = {{Birth date and age|1983|4|1|df=yes}}
| birth_place       = [[Wellington]], New Zealand
| death_date        = 
| death_place       = 
| height            = 1.84 m
| weight            = {{convert|95|kg|stlb lb|abbr=on}}
| school            = [[Mana College]], [[Porirua]]
| university        = [[Victoria University of Wellington]]
| relatives         = [[Vincent Bevan]] (grandfather) [[Jacob Ellison]] (brother)
| ru_position       = [[Rugby union positions|Utility back]]
| repteam1          = [[All Blacks|New Zealand]]
| repteam2          = [[Junior All Blacks]]
| repteam3          = [[New Zealand Māori rugby union team|NZ Maori]]
| repteam4          = [[New Zealand national rugby sevens team|NZ Sevens]]
| repteam5          = [[New Zealand national under-21 rugby union team|NZ U-21]]
| repteam6          = [[New Zealand national under-19 rugby union team|NZ U-19]]
| repyears1         = 2009–2012
| repyears2         = 2007–2009
| repyears3         = 2008
| repyears4         = 2005
| repyears5         = 2003–2004
| repyears6         = 2002
| repcaps1          = 4
| reppoints1        = 0
| ru_ntupdate       = 12 November 2012
| super1            = [[Auckland Blues|Blues]]
| super2            = [[Wellington Hurricanes|Hurricanes]]
| super3            = [[Highlanders (rugby union)|Highlanders]]
| super4            = [[Melbourne Rebels|Rebels]]
| superyears1       = 2005 
| superyears2       =  2006–2010 
| superyears3       =  2012–2013 
| superyears4       =  2014–2016
| superapps1        = 1
| superapps2         = 53
| superapps3         = 23
| superapps4         = 36
| superpoints1      = 0
| superpoints2      = 35
| superpoints3      = 30
| superpoints4      = 10
| ru_currentteam    = [[Melbourne Rebels|Rebels]]
| super14update     = 21 July 2016
| province1         = [[Wellington Lions]]
| province2         = [[Otago Rugby Football Union|Otago]]
| provinceyears1    = 2003–2009
| provinceyears2    = 2012
| provinceapps1     = 45
| provinceapps2     = 6
| provincepoints1   = 89
| provincepoints2   = 5
| ru_provinceupdate = 4 November 2012
| years1            = 2010–2018
| clubs1            = [[Ricoh Black Rams]]
| apps1             = 57
| points1           = 96
| ru_clubupdate     = 18 August 2017
| ru_currentclub    = 
| medals            = {{MedalSport|Men's [[rugby sevens]]}}
{{MedalCountry| {{NZL}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Commonwealth Games]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[2006 Commonwealth Games|2006 Melbourne]] | [[Rugby sevens at the 2006 Commonwealth Games|Team competition]]}} 
}}

'''Tamati Edward Ellison''' (born 1 April 1983) is a [[New Zealand]] [[rugby union]] footballer.

==Career==

===Domestic===
Ellison was born in [[Wellington]], and made his debut for the [[Wellington Lions]] in the 2003 [[National Provincial Championship (1976–2005)|NPC]] final defeat against [[Auckland rugby union team|Auckland]]. He also captained the Lions during the [[2007 Air New Zealand Cup]], leading them to the final where they were once again defeated by Auckland. He was named as Wellington's Player of the Year for 2007.<ref name=HurricanesBio />

He made his [[Super Rugby]] debut in 2005 for the [[Auckland Blues|Blues]] after being called into their squad as an injury replacement and appearing as a substitute in their final match of the season against the [[New South Wales Waratahs]]. He made his [[Wellington Hurricanes|Hurricanes]] debut in 2006 and went on to make 10 appearances that season, all coming from the bench. His run-on debut came against the [[Waikato Chiefs|Chiefs]] in 2007. He made his 50th Super Rugby appearance during the 2010 season.<ref name=HurricanesBio /><ref>{{cite web |title=Hurricanes v Chiefs Match Preview |url=http://www.hurricanes.co.nz/news/2007/02/09/hurricanes-v-chiefs-match-preview |publisher=Hurricanes Limited |access-date=2 February 2007}}</ref>

In March 2010, he confirmed he had activated a get-out clause in his NZRU contract to sign a three-year deal to play for the [[Ricoh Black Rams]] in the [[Top League]]. His agent reported that the deal was made in order to secure the financial future of Ellison's family.<ref name=Kapi /><ref>{{cite web |title=Japan-bound Ellison turns back on All Blacks |url=http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/12032010/58/japan-bound-ellison-turns-blacks.html |publisher=Yahoo! News Network |access-date=12 March 2008}}</ref>

In 2011, it was confirmed that Ellison had signed with the [[Otago Highlanders|Highlanders]] for the [[2012 Super Rugby season|2012]] and [[2013 Super Rugby|2013]] seasons. In March 2013, it was announced that he had resigned for the Ricoh Black rams for the 2013–14 Top League season.

In September 2013, it was announced that Ellison had signed with the [[Melbourne Rebels|Rebels]] for the [[2014 Super Rugby season|2014]] season,<ref>{{cite press release |title=Rebels sign Tamati Ellison |url=http://www.melbournerebels.com.au/News/ArticleDetails/tabid/270/ArticleID/10176/Default.aspx |publisher=Melbourne Rebels |date=6 September 2013 |access-date=6 September 2013}}</ref> reuniting with former teammates [[Telusa Veainu]] and [[Scott Fuglistaller]].<ref name=a-challenge>{{cite press release |title=Tamati – I Want A Challenge |url=http://melbournerebels.com.au/news/article/tamati-i-want-a-challenge |publisher=Melbourne Rebels |date=26 February 2014 |access-date=26 February 2014}}</ref>

===International===
Ellison captained the [[Junior All Blacks]] to victory in the [[2009 IRB Pacific Nations Cup|2009 Pacific Nations Cup]], a year after winning the [[2008 IRB Pacific Nations Cup|2008 edition]] as [[co-captain]] of the [[New Zealand Māori rugby union team|New Zealand Maori]], alongside [[Liam Messam]].<ref name=HurricanesBio /><ref name=JABcap09>{{cite web |title=Tamati Ellison named captain of Junior All Blacks |url=http://oceaniarugby.com/090608_tamati_ellison_capitan_of_jabs.html/ref/3096 |publisher=Federation of Oceania Rugby Unions |access-date=8 June 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100315193018/http://www.oceaniarugby.com/090608_tamati_ellison_capitan_of_jabs.html/ref/3096 |archive-date=15 March 2010  }}</ref>

He was chosen as one of four new caps for the [[New Zealand national rugby union team|All Blacks]] [[2009 end of year rugby union tests|2009 end of year tour]] to Europe and made his first test appearance in the 20–6 victory against [[Italy rugby union national team|Italy]] in Milan.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tamati Ellison |url=http://www.espnscrum.com/newzealand/rugby/player/14841.html |publisher=ESPN |access-date=7 July 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=New Zealand tour 2009 |url=http://www.espnscrum.com/newzealand/rugby/match/95332.html |publisher=ESPN |access-date=7 July 2011}}</ref>

As well as the All Blacks, Junior All Blacks and the New Zealand Maori, he played for the [[New Zealand national rugby union sevens team|New Zealand Sevens]], and represented New Zealand at [[New Zealand national under-21 rugby union team|U-21]] and [[New Zealand national under-19 rugby union team|U-19]] levels. He was part of the New Zealand Sevens team that won a gold medal at the [[2006 Commonwealth Games]] in Melbourne.<ref name=HurricanesBio /><ref name=JABcap09 /><ref>{{cite web |title=Rugby 7s |url=http://www.thecgf.com/sports/intro.asp |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120914121718/http://www.thecgf.com/sports/intro.asp |url-status=dead |archive-date=14 September 2012 |publisher=Commonwealth Games Federation |access-date=8 July 2011 }}</ref>

==Personal life==

===Family===
He is the grandson of All Black [[Vincent Bevan|Vince Bevan]], who played six tests for New Zealand between 1949–50, and son of rugby coach Eddie Ellison. He is the older brother of [[Jacob Ellison]], who plays {{rlp|pr}} for the [[Fukuoka Sanix Blues]]. He is related to former [[American Football]] player [[Riki Ellison]] who played in the [[NFL]] for the [[San Francisco 49ers]] and the [[Los Angeles Raiders]] and to current [[NFL]] player [[Rhett Ellison]] who plays for the [[New York Giants]]. He is also a descendant of [[Thomas Ellison]], captain of New Zealand's first official rugby team in 1893 and a member of the [[New Zealand Natives]] football team which toured [[Great Britain]] and [[Australia]] in 1888–89.<ref name=HurricanesBio>{{cite web |title=Tamati Ellison |url=http://www.hurricanes.co.nz/team/players/tamati-ellison |publisher=Hurricanes Limited |access-date=6 July 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Tom Ellison |url=http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/people/thomas-ellison |publisher=Ministry for Culture and Heritage |access-date=17 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Knight |first=Lindsay |title=Vince Bevan |url=http://www.rugbymuseum.co.nz/ABProfilee.asp?level1=All_Blacks&Level2=ABC&IDID=57 |publisher=New Zealand Rugby Museum |access-date=7 July 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100526002638/http://www.rugbymuseum.co.nz/ABProfilee.asp?level1=All_Blacks&Level2=ABC&IDID=57 |archive-date=26 May 2010  }}</ref>

===Marriage===
In June 2011 he married Meremaraea Cowan at a vineyard in [[Martinborough]]. He first saw a picture of Meremaraea when he was a teenager at the home of his rugby coach, who also happened to be her uncle. Instead of wedding gifts they requested that guests donate to the [[Red Cross]] appeals for the [[2011 Christchurch earthquake|Christchurch earthquake]] and the [[2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami|disaster in Japan]]. They have six children.<ref name=Kapi>{{cite web |last=Dando |first=Kris |title=Home-grown All Black Tamati Ellison Japan-bound |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/local-papers/kapi-mana-news/3677233/Home-grown-All-Black-Tamati-Ellison-Japan-bound |work=Kapi-Mana News |publisher=Fairfax |access-date=11 May 2010}}</ref><ref name=NZWW2011>{{cite web |last=Awarau |first=Aroha |author-link=Aroha Awarau |title=All Black Tamati Ellison's emotional big day |url=http://www.nzwomansweekly.co.nz/celebrities/celeb-stories/all-black-tamati-ellisons-emotional-big-day/story/4105221/ |work=New Zealand Woman's Weekly |access-date=20 June 2011}}</ref><ref name=a-challenge />

==Super Rugby statistics==

{{updated|21 July 2016}}<ref name="Player Statistics">{{cite web |url=http://www.itsrugby.co.uk/player-1960.html |title=Player Statistics |work=its rugby |access-date=26 July 2016}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; line-height:90%; font-size:95%; width:70%;"
|-
! Season !! Team !! Games !! Starts !! Sub !! Mins !! Tries !! Cons !! Pens !! Drops !! Points !! Yel !! Red
|-
| [[2005 Super 12 season|2005]] || {{Rut|Blues}} || 1 || 1 || 0 || 79 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
| [[2006 Super 14 season|2006]] || {{Rut|Hurricanes}} || 8 || 0 || 8 || 151 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
| [[2007 Super 14 season|2007]] || {{Rut|Hurricanes}} || 11 || 3 || 8 || 405 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
| [[2008 Super 14 season|2008]] || {{Rut|Hurricanes}} || 10 || 5 || 5 || 441 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
| [[2009 Super 14 season|2009]] || {{Rut|Hurricanes}} || 13 || 11 || 2 || 886 || 6 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 30 || 0 || 0
|-
| [[2010 Super 14 season|2010]] || {{Rut|Hurricanes}} || 11 || 11 || 0 || 828 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 5 || 0 || 0
|-
| [[2012 Super Rugby season|2012]] || {{Rut|Highlanders}} || 15 || 15 || 0 || 1186 || 2 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 10 || 0 || 0
|-
| [[2013 Super Rugby season|2013]] || {{Rut|Highlanders}} || 8 || 8 || 0 || 633 || 4 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 20 || 1 || 0
|-
| [[2014 Super Rugby season|2014]] || {{Rut|Rebels}} || 15 || 15 || 0 || 1161 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 5 || 1 || 0
|-
| [[2015 Super Rugby season|2015]] || {{Rut|Rebels}} || 11 || 11 || 0 || 788 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
| [[2016 Super Rugby season|2016]] || {{Rut|Rebels}} || 10 || 10 || 0 || 759 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 5 || 0 || 0
|-
! colspan="2" | Total ||  113 || 90 || 23 || 7317 || 15 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 75 || 2 || 0
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Sport links}}
* {{All Blacks|id=1099|name=Tamati Ellison}}

{{Wellington NPC squad}}
{{New Zealand Squad 2006 Commonwealth Games}}
{{2006 New Zealand Commonwealth Games team}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ellison, Tamati}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:New Zealand international rugby union players]]
[[Category:1983 births]]
[[Category:New Zealand rugby union players]]
[[Category:Melbourne Rebels players]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists for New Zealand]]
[[Category:Rugby union players from Wellington City]]
[[Category:Ngāi Tahu people]]
[[Category:Māori All Blacks players]]
[[Category:Rugby sevens players at the 2006 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:New Zealand male rugby sevens players]]
[[Category:Hurricanes (rugby union) players]]
[[Category:Highlanders (rugby union) players]]
[[Category:Otago rugby union players]]
[[Category:Wellington rugby union players]]
[[Category:Blues (Super Rugby) players]]
[[Category:New Zealand expatriate rugby union players in Japan]]
[[Category:New Zealand expatriate rugby union players in Australia]]
[[Category:Black Rams Tokyo players]]
[[Category:People educated at Mana College]]
[[Category:New Zealand international rugby sevens players]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games rugby sevens players for New Zealand]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists in rugby sevens]]
[[Category:Ellison family]]
[[Category:Kurita Water Gush Akishima players]]
[[Category:Rugby union centres]]
[[Category:Medallists at the 2006 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:21st-century New Zealand sportsmen]]