Daniel Braid
Encyclopedia
Daniel Joshua Braid is a rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

 footballer who currently plays for the Super Rugby team the Blues. His position is open side flanker
Flanker (rugby union)
A flanker is a position in the sport of rugby union. Flankers play in the forwards, and are generally classified as either blindside, or openside flankers; numbers six and seven respectively. The name comes from their position in a scrum in which they flank each set of forwards...

.

In 2008 Braid was the first overseas foreign player to sign on to the Queensland Reds
Queensland Reds
The Queensland Reds represent Queensland in the sport of rugby union in the Southern Hemisphere Super Rugby competition. Prior to 1996 they were a representative team selected on merit from the rugby union club competitions in Queensland...

 due to the ARU
Australian Rugby Union
The Australian Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Australia. It was founded in 1949 and is a member of the International Rugby Board the sport's governing body. It consists of eight member unions, representing each state and territory...

's relaxation policy on foreign players.Before his move to the Reds, Braid played for Auckland
Auckland Rugby Football Union
The Auckland Rugby Football Union is the governing body of rugby union in the Auckland Region, in the North Island of New Zealand. Its colours are navy blue and white in a hoop design. Auckland's top representative team have won New Zealand's top provincial rugby competition 16 times, more than...

 in the Air New Zealand Cup
2006 Air New Zealand Cup
The 2006 Air New Zealand Cup is a provincial rugby union competition involving 14 teams from New Zealand. Matches started on Friday 28 July 2006, and the Grand Final was won by Waikato on 21 October 2006....

 and for his current side the Blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...

 in the Super 14
Super 14
Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...

. He played for Auckland University in the Auckland premier competition.

Braid played three Tests for the All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....

 in 2002 and 2003, and scored one try. He returned to the New Zealand international set up in July 2008 and played one international against Australia in Canberra in place of the injured first choice openside Richie McCaw
Richie McCaw
Richard Hugh "Richie" McCaw is a New Zealand rugby union player, and is the current test captain. He plays in the openside flanker position for the New Zealand, Crusaders and Canterbury rugby teams...

. Braid attended King's College, Auckland
King's College, Auckland
King's College is an independent secondary school in New Zealand. It was originally a boys-only school but now also admits girls in the sixth and seventh forms . The school has strong links to the Anglican church; the Anglican Bishop of Auckland, and the Dean of Auckland are permanent members of...

 and was an outstanding secondary schools' rugby player. His younger brother, Luke Braid
Luke Braid
Luke Gary Braid is a rugby union footballer who plays for the Bay of Plenty Steamers in the Air New Zealand Cup. He is a part of the Chiefs wider training squad for the 2009 Super 14 season...

 is also a professional rugby player.

In April 2009 it was announced that he would be signing a contract with the Welsh regional side, the Scarlets. His contract was to begin in July and last 3 years, but he suffered a season ending injury, rupturing his achilles against the Lions. The new contract was subsequently terminated.

In August 2009, it was announced that Braid has signed a one year extension to stay on with the Queensland Reds.

In April 2010 it was announced that Braid would return to play his rugby for Auckland and put himself back into frame for All Blacks Selection. Braid was selected for the 30 man squad for the All Blacks 2010 end of year tour.

External links

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