John Kirwan (rugby player)
Encyclopedia
John James Patrick Kirwan, ONZM
, MBE
(born 16 December 1964) is a New Zealand
rugby union
footballer, and former All Black, turned coach. With 35 tries in 63 tests for the All Blacks, Kirwan appears on the list of the highest try scorers in Rugby Union history.
in Auckland
.
Kirwan played at wing for 96 appearances (including 63 test matches) as an All Black
from 1984 until 1994. Kirwan played a major role in the All Blacks’ 23 test unbeaten run from 1987–1990, scoring 10 tries in five tests against Wales and Australia during 1988. In all he scored 35 test tries for the All Blacks, and 67 tries in total for appearances with the All Blacks, the latter which continues to be the New Zealand record. Kirwan's record of 199 first class tries continues to be the New Zealand record for first class rugby.
Kirwan played rugby league
for two seasons in the Australian Rugby League
Premiership for the Auckland Warriors
before finishing his playing career with the NEC club
in Japan.
to become the coach of the Italian national rugby team
, which under his guidance recorded two victories over Wales in 2003 and Scotland in 2004. After a winless 2005 Six Nations
campaign, he was relieved of his managerial duties on 8 April 2005.
At the 2003 Rugby World Cup
Italy won two games - beating Tonga and Canada in the first round of the tournament.
For a brief period, Kirwan expressed interest at applying for the role of the coach of Wales following Mike Ruddock
's resignation, but decided not to pursue this.
At the start of 2007 Kirwan was appointed the coach of the Japan national rugby union team. Interviewed by the Daily Yomiuri, Kirwan said: "The level of rugby has improved greatly in Japan in the last ten years and they did well at the last World Cup. But their recent performances at national level have [not been good]. I want to find that 'Samurai Spirit' that all the players can identify with. And then that style of rugby can start to spread downwards throughout the country." On 9 April 2007 the national team was featured at their first training camp since Kirwan's appointment in the NHK
national news, a sign of the growing expectation and interest in his team. He said in front of the camera: "We want to be the world's fittest team". He added that he wanted Japan to play to its strengths which he believed were speed and agility, and to play rugby that "big men don't like."
At the 2007 Rugby World Cup
, Japan drew 12-12 with Canada, breaking a 16-year 13-match losing sequence by Japan. John Kirwan coached Japan through the 2011 Rugby World Cup
.
Kirwan has openly spoken of his battle with depression, and is actively involved in mental health and depression awareness campaigns in New Zealand. For his services to these causes, Kirwan was appointed as a Member of the Order of British Empire in 2007. He has written about his depression in the book All Blacks Don't Cry.
in 2007 for services to mental health awareness, having in 1989 been made a Member of the Order of the British Empire
.
New Zealand Order of Merit
The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order established in 1996 "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."The order includes five...
, MBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 16 December 1964) is a New Zealand
New Zealanders
New Zealanders, colloquially known as Kiwis, are citizens of New Zealand. New Zealand is a multiethnic society, and home to people of many different national origins...
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, and former All Black, turned coach. With 35 tries in 63 tests for the All Blacks, Kirwan appears on the list of the highest try scorers in Rugby Union history.
Player career
Kirwan was educated at De La Salle College, Mangere EastDe La Salle College, Mangere East
De La Salle College is an integrated Catholic secondary boys' school Auckland, New Zealand. Established in 1953 by the De La Salle Brothers, it continues to educate young men in the Catholic faith and Christian values. Students are encouraged to develop every aspect of their person and a strong...
in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
.
Kirwan played at wing for 96 appearances (including 63 test matches) as an All Black
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....
from 1984 until 1994. Kirwan played a major role in the All Blacks’ 23 test unbeaten run from 1987–1990, scoring 10 tries in five tests against Wales and Australia during 1988. In all he scored 35 test tries for the All Blacks, and 67 tries in total for appearances with the All Blacks, the latter which continues to be the New Zealand record. Kirwan's record of 199 first class tries continues to be the New Zealand record for first class rugby.
Kirwan played rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
for two seasons in the Australian Rugby League
Australian Rugby League
The Australian Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in Australia. It is made up of state bodies, including the New South Wales Rugby League and the Queensland Rugby League...
Premiership for the Auckland Warriors
New Zealand Warriors
The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership and are the League's only team from outside Australia...
before finishing his playing career with the NEC club
NEC Green Rockets
NEC Green Rockets is a Japanese rugby union team in the Top League. The team's captain is . The previous captain was Takuro Miuchi, who is currently the captain of the Japan national rugby union team. Before the semi-professional Top League was created, the team was just known as "NEC"...
in Japan.
Rugby Union coaching career
In 2002, Kirwan moved to ItalyItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
to become the coach of the Italian national rugby team
Italy national rugby union team
The Italy national rugby union team represent the nation of Italy in the sport of rugby union. The team is also known as the Azzurri . Italy have been playing international rugby since the late 1920s, and since 2000 compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland,...
, which under his guidance recorded two victories over Wales in 2003 and Scotland in 2004. After a winless 2005 Six Nations
Six Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
campaign, he was relieved of his managerial duties on 8 April 2005.
At the 2003 Rugby World Cup
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
Italy won two games - beating Tonga and Canada in the first round of the tournament.
For a brief period, Kirwan expressed interest at applying for the role of the coach of Wales following Mike Ruddock
Mike Ruddock
Mike Ruddock, OBE is a Welsh rugby union coach, currently coach of the Ireland Under-20 Rugby Union Team and Lansdowne FC . Ruddock was the coach of the Worcester Warriors until his resignation on 28 April 2010 following their relegation from the Guinness Premiership...
's resignation, but decided not to pursue this.
At the start of 2007 Kirwan was appointed the coach of the Japan national rugby union team. Interviewed by the Daily Yomiuri, Kirwan said: "The level of rugby has improved greatly in Japan in the last ten years and they did well at the last World Cup. But their recent performances at national level have [not been good]. I want to find that 'Samurai Spirit' that all the players can identify with. And then that style of rugby can start to spread downwards throughout the country." On 9 April 2007 the national team was featured at their first training camp since Kirwan's appointment in the NHK
NHK
NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
national news, a sign of the growing expectation and interest in his team. He said in front of the camera: "We want to be the world's fittest team". He added that he wanted Japan to play to its strengths which he believed were speed and agility, and to play rugby that "big men don't like."
At the 2007 Rugby World Cup
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
, Japan drew 12-12 with Canada, breaking a 16-year 13-match losing sequence by Japan. John Kirwan coached Japan through the 2011 Rugby World Cup
2011 Rugby World Cup
The 2011 Rugby World Cup was the seventh Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. The International Rugby Board selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South Africa at a meeting in Dublin on 17 November 2005...
.
Personal life
Kirwan is married to Fiorella Kirwan, with three children Francesca, Niko and Luca. Kirwan commutes to his coaching job in Japan. Kirwan speaks fluent Italian and Japanese, a result of a playing career in Italy and coaching career in Japan. His grandfather Jack Kirwan represented New Zealand in rugby league.Kirwan has openly spoken of his battle with depression, and is actively involved in mental health and depression awareness campaigns in New Zealand. For his services to these causes, Kirwan was appointed as a Member of the Order of British Empire in 2007. He has written about his depression in the book All Blacks Don't Cry.
Awards and honours
He became an Officer of the New Zealand Order of MeritNew Zealand Order of Merit
The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order established in 1996 "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."The order includes five...
in 2007 for services to mental health awareness, having in 1989 been made a Member of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
.
External links
- Italian coach Kirwan leaves post BBC NewsBBC News OnlineBBC News Online is the website of BBC News, the division of the BBC responsible for newsgathering and production. The website is the most popular news website in the United Kingdom and forms a major part of BBC Online ....
- Kirwan named as new Japan coach BBC NewsBBC News OnlineBBC News Online is the website of BBC News, the division of the BBC responsible for newsgathering and production. The website is the most popular news website in the United Kingdom and forms a major part of BBC Online ....
- JRFU official report of Kirwan's appointment - 25 October 2006
- New Japan coach Kirwan looking for 'Samurai Spirit', Daily Yomiuri, 27 October 2006