Vince Mellars
Encyclopedia
Vincent Mellars is a New Zealand
Rugby League
player who currently plays for the Crusaders in the European Super League. He has previously played in the National Rugby League
and Air New Zealand Cup
. His position is in the Centres. His father, Peter
, was a New Zealand international.
for Wainuiomata
and Petone
.
After being signed by the New Zealand Warriors
he moved to Auckland, playing for Otahuhu
in the 2002 Bartercard Cup. He also represented Wainuiomata
and Wellington
in the Bartercard Cup
.
debut aged 19, in Round 13 2003 with the New Zealand Warriors
against Cronulla Sharks
.
Mellars played with the Warriors throughout the 2003 and 2004 seasons.
. He scored a double vs. Knights in 2005 and scored the winning try in Golden Point
extra time.
when he was chosen to play vs. Broncos on the Wing. He was very good under the high ball that night and was probably the Rooster's best player. He scored his first try of 2006 in Round 8 vs. North Queensland Cowboys. His second try of 2006, was vs. Souths in Round 11 and his 3rd was against Storm in Round 13.
In Round 18, Mellars was called up for the game vs. Manly Sea Eagles (to replace Shaun Foley
). He was then in the Roosters line-up for the next remaining weeks and Later on that year, he played in the Premier League Grand Final.
Mellars played with the Sydney Roosters
throughout the 2006 and 2007 seasons.
, moving to Christchurch
New Zealand
to be with his wife, Charmian Purcell
, who plays basketball for the Christchurch Sirens
and who has also represented New Zealand
at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He was in the Crusaders wider training squad and played in the Air New Zealand Cup
for Canterbury.
against Leeds Rhinos
where he put Gareth Raynor
over the line for his first try for the Crusaders.
Following the demise of the Crusaders, Mellars joined the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
on a three year deal, starting in 2012.
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...
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 currently plays for the Crusaders in the European Super League. He has previously played in the National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
and Air New Zealand Cup
Air New Zealand Cup
The ITM Cup is New Zealand's annual professional domestic Rugby union competition, taking place from late July through October . It was founded in 2006 with 14 teams, after the National Provincial Championship was split into two separate competitions. The other 12 provincial teams from the NPC...
. His position is in the Centres. His father, Peter
Peter Mellars
Peter Mellars is a New Zealand former rugby league player and administrator who represented his country. His son, Vince, is a professional rugby league player.-Playing career:...
, was a New Zealand international.
Early career
Mellars played his junior Rugby LeagueRugby 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...
for Wainuiomata
Wainuiomata Lions
The Wainuiomata Lions are a New Zealand rugby league club based in Wainuiomata, Wellington. They compete in the Wellington Rugby League competition.-Noted Players:...
and Petone
Petone
Petone is a major suburb of the city of Lower Hutt in New Zealand. It is located at the southern end of the narrow triangular plain of the Hutt River, on the northern shore of Wellington Harbour...
.
After being signed by the New Zealand Warriors
New Zealand Warriors
The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership and are the League's only team from outside Australia...
he moved to Auckland, playing for Otahuhu
Otahuhu Leopards
The Otahuhu Leopards are a rugby league club based in Otahuhu, New Zealand. The club competes in the Fox Memorial competition run by the Auckland Rugby League. They are coached by Peter Caccioppoli. Between 2000 and 2003 they also competed in the Bartercard Cup.The team are the current holders of...
in the 2002 Bartercard Cup. He also represented Wainuiomata
Wainuiomata Lions
The Wainuiomata Lions are a New Zealand rugby league club based in Wainuiomata, Wellington. They compete in the Wellington Rugby League competition.-Noted Players:...
and Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
in the Bartercard Cup
Bartercard Cup
The Bartercard Cup was the top level rugby league club competition in New Zealand from 2000 until 2007. For the entire life of the tournament it was sponsored by Bartercard. The cup was administered by the New Zealand Rugby League...
.
Warriors
Mellars made his impressive NRLNational Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
debut aged 19, in Round 13 2003 with the New Zealand Warriors
New Zealand Warriors
The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership and are the League's only team from outside Australia...
against 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...
.
Mellars played with the Warriors throughout the 2003 and 2004 seasons.
Sharks
In 2005 Mellars signed with the Cronulla SharksCronulla Sharks
The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are Australian professional Rugby league team based in Cronulla, in the Sutherland Shire, Southern Sydney, New South Wales...
. He scored a double vs. Knights in 2005 and scored the winning try in Golden Point
Golden point
The golden point, a sudden death overtime system, is used to resolve drawn rugby league football matches. The term is borrowed from soccer's now defunct golden goal.-Australasia:...
extra time.
Roosters
In Round 6 2006, Mellars featured for the Sydney RoostersSydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
when he was chosen to play vs. Broncos on the Wing. He was very good under the high ball that night and was probably the Rooster's best player. He scored his first try of 2006 in Round 8 vs. North Queensland Cowboys. His second try of 2006, was vs. Souths in Round 11 and his 3rd was against Storm in Round 13.
In Round 18, Mellars was called up for the game vs. Manly Sea Eagles (to replace Shaun Foley
Shaun Foley
Shaun Foley is an Australian rugby union player and a former member of the National Rugby League's Sydney Roosters squad....
). He was then in the Roosters line-up for the next remaining weeks and Later on that year, he played in the Premier League Grand Final.
Mellars played with the Sydney Roosters
Sydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
throughout the 2006 and 2007 seasons.
Rugby Union
In 2008 Mellars made the switch to Rugby UnionRugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, moving to Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
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...
to be with his wife, Charmian Purcell
Charmian Purcell
Charmian Purcell was a member of New Zealand's Women's Basketball team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In the game they played against China's team in which they were defeated 80-63 she scored six points and got two rebounds.She plays as a guard for the Christchurch Sirens...
, who plays basketball for the Christchurch Sirens
Women's National Basketball League
The Women's National Basketball League is the pre-eminent women's professional basketball league in Australia. It currently is composed of ten teams. The league was founded in 1981 and is the women's counterpart to the National Basketball League...
and who has also represented 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...
at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He was in the Crusaders wider training squad and played in the Air New Zealand Cup
Air New Zealand Cup
The ITM Cup is New Zealand's annual professional domestic Rugby union competition, taking place from late July through October . It was founded in 2006 with 14 teams, after the National Provincial Championship was split into two separate competitions. The other 12 provincial teams from the NPC...
for Canterbury.
Super League
Just a few weeks before the start of the 2010 Super League season, Mellars signed for Crusaders RLFC. Only fourteen days later, he made his debut in Super League XVSuper League XV
The 2010 Super League season was the fifteenth season of rugby league football since the Super League format was introduced in 1996. Fourteen teams competed for the League Leader's Shield over 27 rounds . All clubs also participated in the 2010 Challenge Cup tournament...
against Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...
where he put Gareth Raynor
Gareth Raynor
Gareth Raynor is a rugby league player and former Great Britain international who previously played for the Crusaders and Hull in the Super League. and from his release from prison on 31 December 2010 he will be playing for the Bradford Bulls having signed a 1 year contract.- Early career:Raynor...
over the line for his first try for the Crusaders.
Following the demise of the Crusaders, Mellars joined the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats are a professional rugby league club that plays in the European Super League and is based in Wakefield. They achieved promotion in 1999 and have remained in the League since. They are known to their fans as Wakey, Trinity, Wildcats, or historically The Dreadnoughts...
on a three year deal, starting in 2012.