Key Facts
| Squad | England Sevens |
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| Position | Forward |
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| Age | 28 |
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| Height | 1.9m (6'3") |
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| Weight | 107kg (16st 11lb) |
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| IRB World Series | 18 events |
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New Zealand-born Chris Brightwell played for Birmingham & Solihull and Bedford Blues before becoming a regular on the HSBC Sevens World Series in 2009.
He made his debut in Dubai that year and went on to feature in all of that season's tournaments, scoring a first try against Scotland at George. His six touchdowns were against an eclectic mix of countries – Scotland, Tonga, Kenya, Papua New Guinea, France and Samoa.
Born in Lower Hutt, near Wellington, he is a product of Napier Boys’ High School, qualifies through his English-born mother and owes some of his skills to his father Tu, a flanker for the Poneke Colts and Premier teams in the 1980s.
Chris grew up playing for Hawke’s Bay, headed on to Wellington and excelled in the back row for Poneke Premiers. After recovering from an ankle injury early in his career, he started 23 consecutive Premier matches, 13 of which were at Number 8 and ten at blind side.
He moved from Bedford to Sale Sharks for the 2010-11 Aviva Premiership season, then featured in the summer's FIRA/AER European GP Sevens before signing a full-time England Sevens contract. His most recent try in the IRB World Series was against Kenya on the Gold Coast last October and he has played in five of this season’s seven tournaments.
Last updated: May 1, 2013
