New Zealand rugby league great Tawera Nikau has opened up about the extraordinary story of what happened to his leg after it was amputated following a motorcycle accident in 2003. The 59-year-old, who played 378 elite-level club games, has faced immense adversity in his life, including the tragic loss of his wife Letitia to suicide two years before the crash.
The Amputation and a Strange Request
Nikau recalled telling the doctor he wanted his leg cut off, only to be handed a green form. When he asked what it was for, the doctor pointed to incinerators outside, explaining that the leg would be burned. Nikau, a Maori, insisted on cultural sensitivity and demanded to take his leg home.
“I said, ‘Haven’t you heard of cultural sensitivity? I’m Maori. That leg belongs to me. I’m gonna take it home when I go,’” Nikau told Fox Sports. The doctor was shocked, saying no one had ever made such a request before.
A Freezer and a Barbecue Mix-Up
Initially, Nikau planned to display the leg in his home bar, but he reconsidered and stored it in his freezer instead. Two weeks later, during a barbecue at his house, a friend named Shane, a butcher, was asked to fetch a leg of pork from the shed. Unwrapping the package, Shane threw the leg in the air—only for Nikau to realize it was his own amputated leg.
“He goes in the shed, unwraps it, opens it up, and he throws the leg in the air, it was my leg,” Nikau added with a laugh.
A Legendary Career
Nikau scored 12 tries in 114 NRL games for the Cronulla Sharks and Melbourne Storm between 1995 and 1999. He capped his final season by winning a premiership with the Storm, playing a key role in their first grand final victory. Known as one of the game’s toughest forwards, he also represented New Zealand 19 times, as well as Waikato, Auckland, and New Zealand Maori.
