Kieran Read
All Blacks legend and two-time Rugby World Cup winner.
Kieran James Read (born 26 October 1985) is a New Zealand former rugby union player. He played as a number 8 and is a former captain of the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks. Read played for New Zealand from 2008 to 2019. He is one of the most-capped players of all time, and the fifth-most-capped All Black in history, having played 127 tests, scoring 26 international tries. Read captained New Zealand 52 times. He was the IRB Player of the Year in 2013 and a key member of New Zealand's 2011 and 2015 World Cup-winning teams, becoming one of only 43 players to have won multiple men's Rugby World Cups. Read played for the Crusaders in the Super Rugby competition, and played for Canterbury and Counties Manukau in the Mitre 10 Cup, before spending his final season in Japan with Toyota Verblitz.
- Role
- Number Eight / Fly-half
- Affiliation
- New Zealand All Blacks & Crusaders
- Debut Year
- 2010
- Captaincy Period
- 2013–2016
- Status
- Retired
- Major Honours
- Rugby World Cup Runner-up (2015), Tri Nations Champion (multiple)
Lore & Background
Kieran Read is a towering figure in New Zealand rugby history, revered as one of the greatest number eight players to represent the All Blacks. He played his childhood rugby in the small town of Drury in the Counties Manukau region, just south of Auckland. He attended Opaheke Primary and Rosehill College, with a one-year interlude at Saint Kentigern College in 2000. Read was Head Boy of Rosehill College, as well as Sportsman of the Year and Sports All-rounder of the Year. He was a talented cricketer, representing Northern District age-group teams and being selected for the New Zealand Under-17 tournament side in 2002. Read made his All Blacks debut on 8 November 2008 against Scotland. He captained the All Blacks for the first time in 2012 against Italy. Read captained the All Blacks 52 times, including during the 2015 Rugby World Cup, which New Zealand won. He was a starter in the 2015 final, playing the full 80 minutes of the semi-final and the final, and captained the team for the final few seconds of the final.
In Their Own Story
The rain slicked the grass of Twickenham as Kieran Read barked instructions to his forwards, his voice cutting through the roar of the English crowd. He crouched low at the breakdown, eyes locked on the ball carrier's feet, ready to snare or steal possession in a split second. With a grunt of effort, he drove through the tackle, lifting the heavy oval ball high into the air for his teammate to secure. In that chaotic moment of contact, there was no fear, only the cold calculation of a leader who knew exactly where the game needed to go.
Reader's Guide
Kieran Read played as a number 8 for the All Blacks. He made his debut in 2008. He captained the All Blacks from 2012 through 2019. He won the Rugby World Cup in 2011 and 2015. He was IRB Player of the Year in 2013.
Did You Know?
- Read scored his first international try on 12 June 2010 against Ireland.
- He is the fifth-most-capped All Black in history with 127 tests.
- Read captained the Crusaders from 2014 to 2016.
- He was the only remaining player from the 2008 Super 14 final when the Crusaders won the 2018 Super Rugby final at home.
More in Legendary Players
Elsewhere in the New Zealand All Blacks universe
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