Marc Christopher Gwynne Ellis (born 8 October 1971) is a New Zealand businessman, television presenter, and former

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

and

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...

footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. A graduate of the

University of Otago , image_name = University of Otago Registry Building2.jpg , image_size = , caption = University clock tower , motto = la, Sapere aude , mottoeng = Dare to be wise , established = 1869; 152 years ago , type = Public research collegiate u ...

, his primary business interest was in

Charlie's Charlie's Group Limited is a New Zealand-based producer of beverage drinks. It is owned by the Japanese beverage company Asahi. Charlie's was founded in 1999 by Marc Ellis, Stefan Lepionka and Simon Neal. Originally the company produced fre ...

, a juice company. During the

1995 Rugby World Cup The 1995 Rugby World Cup was the third Rugby World Cup. It was hosted and won by South Africa, and was the first Rugby World Cup in which every match was held in one country. The World Cup was the first major sporting event to take place in Sou ...

he scored six tries in the game against

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

, which is the record for the most tries by an individual in a Rugby World Cup match.

NPC

Ellis started out for

Otago Otago (, ; mi, Ōtākou ) is a region of New Zealand located in the southern half of the South Island administered by the Otago Regional Council. It has an area of approximately , making it the country's second largest local government reg ...

in the NPC in 1991 when he was playing for the club side University, and he was selected for the NZ Colts. He made a name for himself while playing for Otago, which earned him

All Black The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987, ...

selection in 1992. Ellis stayed with Otago until 1995 when he switched code to rugby league. In 1998, after two seasons of league, Ellis played for North Harbour in the NPC, where he remained for another two seasons. Ellis played his last season of NPC in 2000 for North Harbour.

All Blacks

Ellis first played for the All Blacks in 1992, against a South Australian Invitation XV, then against Australian club and invitation sides. He scored two tries in his first test, in 1993, at

first five-eighth In the game of rugby union, there are 15 players on each team, comprising eight forwards (wearing jerseys numbered 1–8) and seven backs (numbered 9–15). In addition, there may be up to eight replacement players "on the bench", numbered 16– ...

against

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

, won 51–15 by the All Blacks. A week later he was selected for the test against England where he also played first five. Ellis played his last match of 1993 against the

Barbarians A barbarian (or savage) is someone who is perceived to be either uncivilized or primitive. The designation is usually applied as a generalization based on a popular stereotype; barbarians can be members of any nation judged by some to be less c ...

. For the 1994 season, Ellis was not selected for the All Blacks and did not attend the NZ trial due to injury, but he did play for the New Zealand XV and New Zealand Universities sides. In 1995 Ellis was re-called to the All Blacks for the

World Cup A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the concept i ...

, playing five games on the wing. He scored seven tries in the tournament, six of them in the 145–17 win over Japan.

Rugby league

At the end of the 1995 season Ellis switched to league to play for the

Auckland Warriors The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership and is the League's only team from outside Australia. They were formed in 1995 as ...

where he joined his All Blacks teammate John Kirwan. Ellis was Warrior number 29 when he played his first match in

1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A Centennial Olympic Park bombing, bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical Anti-abortion violence, anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 8 ...

. He played for the Warriors between 1996 and 1998, playing in 36 matches and scoring 103 points through 11 tries, 29 goals and 1 field goal. Ellis also represented the

New Zealand national rugby league team The New Zealand national rugby league team (Māori: Tīma rīki motu Aotearoa) has represented New Zealand in rugby league since 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of ...

, the Kiwis, in 5 matches.

Super 12

Ellis missed out on the first few seasons of the

Super 12 Super Rugby is a men's professional rugby union club competition involving teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. It previously included teams from Argentina, Japan, and South Africa. Building on various Southern Hem ...

due to his

career, but when he returned to

in 1998 it was only a short time before he was into the Super 12. After playing a solid season for North Harbour in the NPC Ellis was picked for

the Blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the African- ...

, where he played one season. In 1999, after strong seasons with North Harbour and the Blues, Ellis was named in one of the early training squads for the

1999 Rugby World Cup The 1999 Rugby World Cup was the fourth Rugby World Cup, the quadrennial international rugby union championship. It was principally hosted by Wales, and was won by Australia. This was the first Rugby World Cup to be held in the sport's professi ...

, but he was not selected in the final team and played for NZ A instead. In 2000 Ellis played his final Super 12 season for the Highlanders before retiring from rugby.

Post playing career

In the early 2000s, Ellis was a popular figure on New Zealand television, often appearing alongside fellow former rugby union and league player

Matthew Ridge Matthew John Ridge (born 27 August 1968) is a New Zealand television presenter, and a former rugby union and rugby league footballer. A fullback in both codes, Ridge played rugby union for Auckland and became an All Black, but never won an in ...

, notably on light-hearted documentaries. In 2004, as part of a one such programme, Ellis took part in and won the famous and eccentric British annual event, the

Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake The Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake is an annual event held on the Spring Bank Holiday at Cooper's Hill, near Gloucester in England. Participants race down the long hill after a round of Double Gloucester cheese is sent rolling down it. ...

. From 1996 to 2005 Ellis was a regular presenter on the TV2 talk show ''

SportsCafe ''SportsCafe'' was a New Zealand sports TV show. The show's original run was hosted by Lana Coc-Kroft, Marc Ellis, Leigh Hart, Graeme Hill, Ric Salizzo and reporter Eva Evguenieva. In 2001 Leigh Hart was added to the cast under his persona ...

'', where he was known for his "larrikin" personality. In 2003 he inaugurated the mock public holiday " National Nude Day" by challenging viewers to streak in front of then Prime Minister

Helen Clark Helen Elizabeth Clark (born 26 February 1950) is a New Zealand politician who served as the 37th prime minister of New Zealand from 1999 to 2008, and was the administrator of the United Nations Development Programme from 2009 to 2017. She was ...

. In 2006, he released his autobiography ''Crossing the Line'', which details all aspects of his life. Ellis has since co-authored ''Good Fullas: A Guide to Kiwi Blokes'', released in 2010 with friend and New Zealand Consul General to Italy, Charlie Haddrell. In 2010 the Gardens Tavern, then a popular student pub in North Dunedin, was advertised for sale; Ellis attempted to buy it but was outbid by the

, who converted it into a study centre. The university student magazine ''

Critic A critic is a person who communicates an assessment and an opinion of various forms of creative works such as art, literature, music, cinema, theater, fashion, architecture, and food. Critics may also take as their subject social or governmen ...

'' alleges that the University bought it for the specific purpose of keeping it out of Ellis' hands.

Controversy

In 2005, Ellis purchased ecstasy tablets from a drug dealer who was under surveillance by the

New Zealand Police The New Zealand Police ( mi, Ngā Pirihimana o Aotearoa) is the national police service and principal law enforcement agency of New Zealand, responsible for preventing crime, enhancing public safety, bringing offenders to justice, and maintai ...

. Ellis was among many high-profile figures caught in the operation, code-named Aqua. His court appearance put an end to a poorly-kept secret, as despite the fact he had originally obtained name suppression, his identity was widely known by the New Zealand public. Ellis was fined $300. On 15 November 2007, as part of an elaborate marketing ploy for his latest business venture, Ellis detonated 600 kg of explosives on top of

Rangitoto Island Rangitoto Island is a volcanic island in the Hauraki Gulf near Auckland, New Zealand. The wide island is a symmetrical shield volcano cone, reaching a height of . Rangitoto is the youngest and largest of the approximately 50 volcanoes of the Au ...

, a nature reserve in

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

Waitematā Harbour Waitematā Harbour is the main access by sea to Auckland, New Zealand. For this reason it is often referred to as Auckland Harbour, despite the fact that it is one of two harbours adjoining the city. The harbour forms the northern and easter ...

. This was an attempt to create an illusion that the volcanic island was erupting. The

New Zealand Department of Conservation The Department of Conservation (DOC; Māori: ''Te Papa Atawhai'') is the public service department of New Zealand charged with the conservation of New Zealand's natural and historical heritage. An advisory body, the New Zealand Conservation Au ...

described the stunt as "demoralising and very disappointing". There is a total fire ban on the island because of ecological significance.

References

External links

Marc Ellis at rugbymuseum.co.nzThe Listener 2004 Power List
Ellis is listed as no. 49. Retrieved 27 August 2005.
Sports Comedy Shows and New Lad Culture in NZ
Retrieved 30 November 2006 from www.sportsfreak.co.nz.
Marc Ellis joins the Hare Krishnas
New Zealand Herald- 27 May 2007

*
Marc's bloke spotting - Sunday Star Times 15 August 2010

goodfullas.co.nz

Marc Ellis Good Fullas Marc Ellis And Charlie Hadd at nzwomansweekly.co.nz
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ellis, Mark 1971 births Living people Dual-code rugby internationals Highlanders (rugby union) players New Zealand businesspeople New Zealand international rugby union players New Zealand national rugby league team players New Zealand naturists New Zealand rugby league players New Zealand rugby union players New Zealand Warriors players North Harbour rugby union players Otago rugby union players People educated at Wellington College (New Zealand) Rugby league fullbacks Rugby league players from Wellington City Rugby league wingers Rugby union players from Wellington City Rugby union wings Social nudity advocates University of Otago alumni People educated at Wellesley College, New Zealand