Mark Nicholls (rugby union)
Nicholls in 1924 | |||||||||||||||||
| Birth name | Marcus Frederick Nicholls | ||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 13 July 1901 | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Wellington, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 10 June 1972 (aged 70) | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Tauranga, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||
| School | Petone District High School, Wellington College | ||||||||||||||||
| Notable relative(s) | Ginger Nicholls (brother) Harold Nicholls (brother) | ||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||
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Marcus Frederick Nicholls (13 July 1901 – 10 June 1972), generally known as Mark Nicholls, was a New Zealand rugby union player and selector. He played for New Zealand—the All Blacks—as well as Wellington and the North Island. A member of the legendary 1924–25 All Black "Invincibles", Nicholls was best known as a first five-eighth though he actually played many games, including Tests, at either second-five eighth or centre. Hugely influential in his day, he has largely become forgotten in modern times although George Nēpia and Bert Cooke, two of his better-remembered contemporaries, acknowledged the significance of his role in assisting their success.