New Zealand's most-capped Sevens player and World Series legend

Overview

Tim Mikkelson is the most-capped player in All Blacks Sevens history — 103 international tournaments, more than 200 World Series tries, two Rugby World Cup Sevens titles, an Olympic silver medal and seven World Series championships. Across nearly two decades in the All Blacks Sevens, he became the team's longest-serving cornerstone. On stage he brings a calm, considered take on what world-class team culture, fitness and longevity actually look like.

Who is Tim Mikkelson? A Waikato native, Tim debuted for the All Blacks Sevens in 2007 and went on to spend almost two decades in the squad, eventually surpassing DJ Forbes as the team's most-capped player. He has played provincial rugby for Waikato and Super Rugby for the Chiefs. He captained and co-captained the team across multiple eras, winning World Series titles, Commonwealth Games gold and an Olympic silver before retiring from international rugby alongside Scott Curry and Sam Dickson in 2024.

Career Highlights • Most-capped player in All Blacks Sevens history (103+ tournaments) • 200+ tries in the World Rugby Sevens Series — third on the all-time list • Two-time Rugby World Cup Sevens winner (2013, 2018) • Two Commonwealth Games gold medals (2010, 2018) and Olympic silver (Tokyo 2020) • Seven World Series titles • World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year 2013, NZ Sevens Player of the Year 2011

Key Speaking Themes • Longevity, durability and staying at the top for 17+ years • Leadership and being the ultimate team player • High-performance habits and recovery • Team culture in a fast, high-rotation environment • Identity and life after professional sport

What Your Audience Will Gain Tim is humble, sharp and practical. Audiences leave with a clear, concrete sense of what high performance over a long career actually requires — the team-first mindset, the daily habits and the resilience to keep showing up.

Ideal For • Leadership and CEO conferences • Sales kick-offs and team offsites • Sport, performance and culture events • Health, wellbeing and longevity forums • Schools and youth leadership programmes

Frequently Asked Questions...

What does Tim Mikkelson speak about? Leadership, resilience, longevity, team culture and high performance, drawn from 17+ years inside one of the world's most successful sevens programmes.

How many caps does Tim Mikkelson have? More than 103 international tournaments, making him the most-capped player in All Blacks Sevens history.

What honours has Tim Mikkelson won? World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year 2013, two Rugby World Cup Sevens titles, two Commonwealth Games gold medals, Olympic silver at Tokyo 2020 and seven World Series titles.

When did Tim Mikkelson retire? Tim retired from international sevens in 2024, alongside long-time teammates Scott Curry and Sam Dickson.

Has Tim Mikkelson captained the All Blacks Sevens? Yes. He captained and co-captained the team across multiple eras of his international career.
Is Tim Mikkelson available for keynotes and panels? Yes. Tim is available for keynotes, panels and after-dinner appearances across NZ on leadership, culture and high performance.