The War Donkey

ABOUT NIKI

Nikolas Dow was a much loved son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin and friend. Niki was involved in a tragic car accident in Portugal on 31/08/2013 involving three people, of which two lost their lives. It is fair to say that Niki lived his life to the fullest as he travelled to all corners of the world, following his passion for wine-making.

 

From a young age Niki loved sports and his sporting ability grew as he did, eventually earning himself a sports scholarship to attend Saint Kentigern College. It was in the Saint Kentigern College 1st XV rugby team where Niki earnt himself the nickname "The War Donkey", for his continuous work ethic on the field. 

The donkey became well-known after World War I for continiously carrying soldiers from the battle field to the beach to seek medical attention. On the rugby field Niki was definitely not the biggest guy on the team, but was always amongst everything from tackles and rucks at one end to scoring tries at the other.

 

Following his time at St Kents, Niki moved down to Christchurch where he completed a Bachelor of Viticulture and Oenology at Lincoln University. He continued to play rugby, playing for Lincoln University team and also played AFL every opportunity he got. While in Auckland, Niki played for the University Blues side and also represented New Zealand in AFL.