Jerry Collins facts for kids
Collins featuring for RC Narbonne in 2015
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| Date of birth | 4 November 1980 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Place of birth | Apia, Samoa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 5 June 2015 (aged 34) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Béziers, France | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in; 75 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 112 kg (247 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | St. Patrick's College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | Victoria University of Wellington | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable relative(s) | Mike Umaga, Tana Umaga, Sinoti Sinoti (cousins) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | Alana Madill | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Jerry Collins (born November 4, 1980 – died June 5, 2015) was a famous Samoan-New Zealander rugby union player. He was known for being one of the strongest tacklers in rugby history. Jerry played for the All Blacks, New Zealand's national team, 48 times. He also played for many top clubs around the world, including the Wellington Hurricanes in New Zealand, Toulon and Narbonne in France, Ospreys in the UK, and Yamaha Júbilo in Japan. He usually played as a flanker or number eight.
Jerry Collins and his partner, Alana Madill, sadly passed away in a car accident in France in June 2015.
Contents
Jerry Collins: A Rugby Star
Early Life and Rugby Beginnings
Jerry Collins was born in Samoa. He grew up in Porirua, New Zealand, which he loved very much. He showed great talent in rugby from a young age.
He played for the 1st XV team at St. Patrick's College in Wellington for three seasons. This was from 1996 to 1998. His skills earned him a spot on the New Zealand Secondary Schools team.
In 1999, Jerry was named the best player at the World Junior Championships (Under-19). New Zealand won this tournament. He was the first player from that winning team to join the senior All Blacks in 2001.
Professional Rugby Career
Jerry Collins began his professional journey with the Wellington team in 1999. He played in the National Provincial Championship (NPC). In 2001, he joined the Wellington Hurricanes, a Super Rugby team.
He played 74 games for the Hurricanes between 2001 and 2008. This included playing in the 2006 Super 14 final. The Hurricanes played against the Crusaders at AMI Stadium.
Playing for the All Blacks
Jerry made his debut for the All Blacks in 2001. He went on to play 48 test matches for his country. During these games, he scored five tries.
In June 2006, Jerry had the honor of captaining the All Blacks. This was for a special match against Argentina. He led his team to a 25–19 victory in Buenos Aires. This made him the 61st captain of the All Blacks. He also captained the team in some matches during the 2007 Rugby World Cup. He stepped in for the usual captain, Richie McCaw.
Jerry Collins decided to retire from international rugby in May 2008.
Playing for Clubs Around the World
After leaving the Hurricanes, Jerry played for several international clubs.
- He joined Toulon in France for the 2008–09 season.
- In May 2009, he signed a two-year deal with the Welsh team Ospreys. He was named their Players' Player of the Year in the 2009–10 season.
- Later, he played for Yamaha Júbilo in Japan's Top League, starting in 2011.
- In 2013, he played his last game for the Classic All Blacks against Fiji. He took a break from rugby in 2014.
- In January 2015, Jerry signed a contract to play for Racing Club Narbonne in France. He was helping out as injury cover for another player.
Personal Connections
Jerry Collins was related to other famous rugby players. He was a cousin of Tana Umaga, who was also a former All Blacks captain and played with Jerry on the Hurricanes team.
A Sad Farewell
On June 5, 2015, Jerry Collins and his partner, Alana Madill, passed away. They were in a car accident in southern France. Their three-month-old baby daughter, Ayla, survived the crash. Jerry bravely tried to protect Ayla by shielding her with his body.
Ayla spent a month recovering in the hospital. She was in intensive care and spent two weeks in a coma. In July, it was announced that Ayla would move to Canada to live with the Madill family and continue her treatment there.
To honor Jerry Collins, Porirua Park Stadium in New Zealand was officially renamed Jerry Collins Stadium on March 25, 2016.
See also
In Spanish: Jerry Collins para niños
