John Kirwan (rugby)

Sir John James Patrick Kirwan (born 16 December 1964) is a New Zealand mental health advocate, former rugby union and rugby league player, and former rugby union coach.

A wing, he played for Auckland in the 1980s and 1990s, when they dominated New Zealand rugby. He played in 63 tests for New Zealand, and scored 35 tries, making him one of the highest try scorers in international rugby union history. He was part of the New Zealand team that won the first Rugby World Cup in 1987. He also played rugby league for the Auckland Warriors in their first two seasons in 1995 and 1996.

After retiring, he moved into coaching, and was the head coach of Japanese club NEC, the Italy and Japan national teams, and the Blues in Super Rugby, until he stepped down in 2015.

He has written two books on the subject of mental health, has spoken openly about his battles with depression and been honoured for his services to mental health.

Early life and family

Kirwan was born in Auckland on 16 December 1964, the son of Patrick and Patricia Madeline Kirwan. He was educated at De La Salle College in Auckland.

His paternal grandfather, Jack Kirwan, was a wing three-quarter/five-eighths originally from Reefton who played for the New Zealand rugby league team on 28 occasions.

Playing career

Rugby union

Kirwan played for Marist Brothers Old Boys RFC and Auckland domestically, winning 142 caps with the latter during an era when the side dominated the NPC and Ranfurly Shield.

From 1985 to 1989 he also played in Italy, with Benetton Treviso, where he won the Italian championship in 1989. Also in the Treviso team was the All Black Craig Green, Kirwan's teammate in the 1987 World Cup won by New Zealand.

After his spell in rugby league, he finished his rugby union playing career with NEC in Japan from 1997–1999.

International

Kirwan played 63 test matches for New Zealand from 1984 until 1994. Kirwan played a major role in the All Blacks’ 23-test unbeaten run from 1987 to 1990, including winning the 1987 World Cup. He scored 10 tries in five tests against Wales and Australia during 1988. In all he scored 35 test tries for New Zealand. He also scored 67 tries in all appearances with the All Blacks (including non test matches) which is still the national record. His total of 199 first class tries remains a New Zealand record.

In 1986 Kirwan and David Kirk were the only All Blacks not to join the 'rebel' New Zealand Cavaliers team that travelled to apartheid-era South Africa after a New Zealand court held that the All Blacks' playing in that country would be inconsistent with their mission of promoting rugby. As a result, he and Kirk were the only ones not barred from playing with the All Blacks after the tour.

Rugby league

At age 30 Kirwan signed for the newly formed rugby league club Auckland Warriors for the 1995 ARL season, with a mutual option for 1996. Playing on the wing, Kirwan was the Warriors' top try scorer in the 1996 season. He was a staunch opponent of the ARL during the Super League war.

Coaching career

Kirwan coached NEC Green Rockets in Japan, and in 2001 became an assistant coach with the Auckland Blues.

In 2002, he moved to Italy to become the coach of the Italy national 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 dismissed on 8 April 2005. He continued to work as a consultant with NEC.

At the start of 2007 he was appointed the coach of the Japan national rugby union team. 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 ot 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." At the 2007 Rugby World Cup, Japan drew 12–12 with Canada, breaking a 16-year, 13-match losing streak at World Cups. Kirwan remained head coach of Japan through the 2011 Rugby World Cup, when they again drew with Canada, but lost to New Zealand, France and Tonga.

In July 2012, Kirwan was announced as the new coach of the Blues. In the 2013 and 2014 seasons, the Blues finished in 10th place. After re-applying for the role for 2016 and beyond, he was forced to step down following just three wins - an all-time franchise low - in the 2015 season. In 2018 he stated that he is not likely to coach again.

Mental health

Kirwan has openly spoken of his battle with depression, and is actively involved in mental health and depression awareness campaigns in New Zealand. He has written about his depression in the books ''All Blacks Don't Cry'' and ''Stand by Me''. He has established the Sir John Kirwan Foundation to help young people understand mental health. In 2020 he launched a mental wellbeing app called Mentemia.

Personal life

Kirwan is married to Fiorella, Lady Kirwan, and they have three children: Francesca, a beach volleyball player; Niko, who has played football for the All Whites, New Zealand's national team, and Luca, who has represented New Zealand internationally in rowing at under-23 level. Kirwan speaks fluent Italian and good Japanese, having lived in Italy and Japan.

In 2016, Kirwan's DNA heritage was investigated for a television programme, in which links to the American Kennedy family and Scottish mountaineer Alexander Kellas were shown.

Honours and awards

In the 1989 New Year Honours, Kirwan was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire, for services to rugby.

In the 2007 Queen's Birthday Honours, Kirwan was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to mental health. In the 2012 Queen's Birthday and Diamond Jubilee Honours, he was promoted to Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to mental health and rugby.

Also in 2012, Kirwan was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame.

References

Bibliography

*''The outdoors cookbook: John Kirwan & Annabel Langbein’s favourite barbecue and grill recipes'' (1989)
*''Kirwan: running on instinct'' (1992)
*''Why I am: a bag full of wisdom to take on the road'' (c1999)
*''All Blacks Don’t Cry: A Story of Hope'' (2010)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kirwan, John
1964 births
Living people
Auckland rugby union players
Benetton Rugby players
Expatriate rugby union players in Italy
Expatriate rugby union players in Japan
Italy national rugby team coaches
Japan national rugby team coaches
Knights Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit
Green Rockets Tokatsu players
New Zealand expatriate rugby union players
New Zealand expatriate sportspeople in Italy
New Zealand expatriate sportspeople in Japan
New Zealand international rugby union players
New Zealand Members of the Order of the British Empire
New Zealand people of Irish descent
New Zealand rugby league players
New Zealand rugby union coaches
New Zealand rugby union players
New Zealand Warriors players
People educated at De La Salle College, Māngere East
Rugby league players from Auckland
Rugby league wingers
Rugby players and officials awarded knighthoods
Rugby union players from Auckland
Rugby union wings
World Rugby Hall of Fame inductees
Mental health activists