Number 8
Kieran Read
Kieran Read is a retired New Zealand rugby union number 8 and former All Blacks captain who won the Rugby World Cup in 2011 and 2015 and was named World Rugby Player of the Year in 2013.
New Zealand · 127 caps for New Zealand (All Blacks) (2008-2019)
Age 40 · 1.93m · 111kg
Facts checked against Wikipedia and Wikidata on 7 September 2026.
Background
Kieran Read is widely regarded as one of the greatest Number 8s to ever play the game. A two-time World Cup winner with New Zealand, Read captained New Zealand from 2016 to 2019 and led his side to back-to-back Rugby Championship titles. His ability to read the game, dominate at the breakdown, and carry hard in tight spaces set the benchmark for the modern loose forward.
Honours
- Rugby World Cup winner 2011, 2015
- World Rugby Player of the Year 2013
- New Zealand Rugby Player of the Year 2010, 2013
- All Blacks captain 2013-2019
- Super Rugby champion 2008, 2017, 2018, 2019 (Crusaders)
- Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (2020 Queen's Birthday Honours)
Career
- Canterbury (2006–2019)
- Crusaders (2008–2018)
- New Zealand (2008–2019), 127 Caps
- Toyota Verblitz, Japan (2019–2021)
Strengths
- Breakdown Dominance
- Ball Carrying
- Leadership
- Game Reading
- Set Piece
- Work Rate
Free guides
Guides with Kieran Read
- Rugby Positions and Numbers: All 15 Explained by the ProsAll 15 positions and their numbers, what each role really does, and the training behind it, explained through the internationals who play them.
- Second Row Rugby: The Lock Position, 4 and 5The 4 and 5 shirts, why the lock is called the second row, and what the job asks for in the air and the scrum.
- Line Out Rugby: How the Lineout WorksThe throw, the lift, the call and the codes — how a rugby lineout is won before the ball leaves the hooker's hands.
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