Ian Kirkpatrick

Who is Ian Kirkpatrick?

Ian Andrew Kirkpatrick is a former New Zealand rugby union player, who was captain of the New Zealand team between 1972 and 1974.

Kirkpatrick began his first-class career in 1966 at the age of 20 playing for Poverty Bay. One year later in he moved to Christchurch and established himself in the Canterbury team. Later that year, he made his international debut for the All Blacks against France in Paris.

Over the next ten years, Kirkpatrick would appear for the All Blacks in 39 test matches, scoring 16 tries which would remain a national record until Stu Wilson surpassed this total in 1983. In 1971, he was a part of the President's Overseas XV that was chosen to play against England to celebrate the centenary of the Rugby Football Union.

His domestic career was extensive, and he scored 115 tries in his 289 first class games, becoming one of the few forwards to reach the century. He was also the only man to have captained both islands: the South in 1969 in his last season with Canterbury and then the North when he had returned home to Poverty Bay. He also appeared in 33 Ranfurly Shield matches for Canterbury.

In 2003, he was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame.