David Thomas Watson is a New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 former rugby league

Rugby league

Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...

 player who represented his country

New Zealand national rugby league team

The New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name...

 in the 1980s and 1990s.

Playing career

Watson began his career playing for the Waitara Bears in the Taranaki Rugby League

Taranaki Rugby League

Taranaki Rugby League is the local sporting body responsible for the administration of Rugby league in the Taranaki region of New Zealand. The TRL are represented by the Taranaki rugby league team...

 before moving north and playing in the Auckland Rugby League

Auckland Rugby League

The Auckland Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in the Auckland Region of New Zealand. It is responsible for rugby league in the region and was the owner of Carlaw Park, once the "spiritual home of rugby league in New Zealand".-History:The Auckland Rugby League was...

 competition. Watson joined the Manukau Magpies

Manukau Magpies

The Manukau Magpies are a rugby league football club based in Manukau, New Zealand who compete in Auckland Rugby League's Fox Memorial competition. The club was established in 1910.-History:...

 and in 1986 won the ARLs most improved back award.

In 1990 he signed with Hull KR

Hull Kingston Rovers

Hull Kingston Rovers or Hull KR is an English professional rugby league football club based in Hull, England. The club formed in 1882 and currently competes in Super League, having won promotion from National League One in 2006...

 for the 1990/91 season. He returned to England the next winter to play for the Halifax RLFC

Halifax RLFC

Halifax RLFC is one of the most historic rugby league clubs in the game, formed over a century ago, in 1873 in the Yorkshire town of Halifax. Known as 'Fax', the official club colours are blue and white hoops, blue shorts and blue socks . They share The Shay stadium with football club FC Halifax Town...

. While playing for Halifax Watson tested positive for cannabis

Cannabis

Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a...

 and received a three month ban. In 1992 he began an association with Bradford Northern

Bradford Bulls

Bradford Bulls is a professional rugby league club based in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. They play in the European Super League and are currently joint 10th in the league....

 that lasted three seasons.

In 1993 Watson returned to Taranaki

Taranaki rugby league team

The Taranaki rugby league team are New Zealand rugby league team that represents the Taranaki Rugby League. They have been nicknamed the Rockets, Sharks and Wildcats.-1908:...

 and played in the North Island Second Division

1993 New Zealand rugby league season

The 1993 New Zealand rugby league season was the eighty sixth season of rugby league that had been played in New Zealand. The main feature of the year was the National Provincial Championship competition that was run by the New Zealand Rugby League...

. This made him eligible to participate in the Kiwi trials that year and he was selected for the series against Australia.

In 1994 Watson began playing in the Australian competition, spending time with the Cronulla Sharks

Cronulla Sharks

The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are Australian professional Rugby league team based in Cronulla, in the Sutherland Shire, Southern Sydney, New South Wales...

, Sydney Tigers

Sydney Tigers

Sydney Tigers can refer to a number of sporting clubs:* Balmain Tigers, a National Rugby League team known as the Sydney Tigers during the 1995 and 1996 seasons....

, Gold Coast Chargers

Gold Coast Chargers

Gold Coast were a professional Rugby league football club which played in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership from 1988 to 1994, the Australian Rugby League premiership from 1995 to 1997, and the National Rugby League premiership in 1998...

 and South Queensland Crushers

South Queensland Crushers

The South Queensland Crushers were an Australian rugby league football club based in Brisbane, Queensland. In 1992 it was decided that the team would be admitted into the New South Wales Rugby League competition, along with three other teams, as part of the League's expansion plans for professional...

.

In 1998 he returned to England, joining the Sheffield Eagles

Sheffield Eagles

Sheffield Eagles RLFC are an English rugby league club based in the South Yorkshire city of Sheffield. They currently play in the Co-operative Championship. Their home games are played at Bramall Lane after leaving Don Valley Stadium in late 2009....

. In 1998 Watson, along with fellow 1989 Kiwi Whetu Taewa

Whetu Taewa

Whetu Taewa is a former professional rugby league player who represented his country six times between 1989 and 1996.-New Zealand:...

, was part of the Sheffield Eagles

Sheffield Eagles

Sheffield Eagles RLFC are an English rugby league club based in the South Yorkshire city of Sheffield. They currently play in the Co-operative Championship. Their home games are played at Bramall Lane after leaving Don Valley Stadium in late 2009....

 side that upset Wigan

Wigan Warriors

Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....

 to win the Challenge Cup

Challenge Cup

The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....

.

Representative career

Watson was a Taranaki

Taranaki rugby league team

The Taranaki rugby league team are New Zealand rugby league team that represents the Taranaki Rugby League. They have been nicknamed the Rockets, Sharks and Wildcats.-1908:...

 and Auckland

Auckland rugby league team

The Auckland rugby league team is the team which traditionally represents all of the clubs which play in the Auckland Rugby League competition. The Auckland Rugby League team has traditionally been a powerhouse of New Zealand domestic rugby league...

 representative before being selected to represent New Zealand Māori

New Zealand Maori rugby league team

-See also:* New Zealand national rugby league team* New Zealand Māori rugby union team* New Zealand Māori cricket team-External links:* Google Books...

 in the 1986 Pacific Cup

1986 Pacific Cup

-Pool B:-Play offs:-Final:...

. He again represented the Māori against Great Britain in 1990.

Watson was selected for the New Zealand Kiwis in 1989. He went on to make 15 appearances for the Kiwis, his last being in the 1993 test series against Australia.