#757 Ian Andrew Kirkpatrick
(Poverty Bay 1966 -70 -71 -72 -73 -74 -75 -76 -77 -78 -79)
Ian Andrew Kirkpatrick- Ngatapa – (Poverty Bay) b 24.5.1946, Gisborne
Kirkpatrick began his first-class career in 1966 at the age of 20 playing for Poverty Bay. One year later 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.
In the first test of the 1968 series in Australia in Sydney, a game equally remembered for Colin Meads’ crude attempt to clear Wallaby scrumhalf Ken Catchpole from a ruck, resulting in a horrific injury to Catchpole, Kirkpatrick came on as a 22nd-minute replacement for the captain Brian Lochore, who had broken his thumb. He thus became the first All Black to be used as a substitute according to the new International Rugby Football Board regulations With his only warm-up being the run down the stairs from the reserve seats, Kirkpatrick scored a hat-trick of tries in a 27–11 victory. For the next nine years, he was one of the first names on the All Blacks team sheet, playing a then-record 38 consecutive tests for the All Blacks.
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, scoring two tries in the 28–11 win at Twickenham. Later in the 1971 Lions series, he would score one of his most famous tries, a 55-metre solo effort in the 22–12 victory in the Second Test in Christchurch.
Kirkpatrick was appointed All Black captain in 1972 and led the 1972-73 tour to Europe and North America, a tour memorable for the controversial expulsion of Keith Murdoch (which Kirkpatrick would call one of his biggest regrets) and the Barbarians’ famous 23–11 victory at Cardiff Arms Park.
By the time he retired early in the 1979 season, Kirkpatrick had played a total of 289 first-class games and scored 115 tries. He is to date also the only man to have captained both islands: the South in 1969 in his last season with Canterbury and then the North (in 1972–73) when he had returned home to Poverty Bay. He also appeared in 33 Ranfurly Shield matches for Canterbury.
In the 1980 Queen’s Birthday Honours, Kirkpatrick was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire, for services to rugby. In 2003, he was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame.
From 2005 to 2010 Kirkpatrick served as a part-time mentor with the Hurricanes Super Rugby franchise. In May 2020 he was named New Zealand Rugby’s patron after the death of Sir Brian Lochore in 2019. In an interview with the news website Stuff that same month, Kirkpatrick expressed his concerns for the physical wellbeing of modern rugby players.
As of 2022 the Heartland Player of the year is now awarded the Ian Kirkpatrick Medal, with the first recipient being Sam Parkes from Ngati Porou East Coast but also Poverty Bay Cap Number #1395 appearing for the Scarlets in 2013.
His Full record is :
- Poverty Bay (Ngatapa) 1966 (7) -70 (5) -71 (5) -72 (9) -73 (9) -74 (10) -75 (12) -76 (3) -77 (10) -78 (13) -79 (2), 85g, 31t, 118pts
- Canterbury (Rangiora) 1967 (8) -68 (10) -69 (13), 31g, 12t
- Canterbury Country 1967-69, 1t
- Poverty Bay-East Coast 1966 (3) -71 (2) -72 -77 (2) -78, 9g, 3t, 10pts
- Barbarians Club 1972-73 (2) -77 (2), 5t
- I.A.Kirkpatrick’s XV 1973
- Harlequins Club 1974-76-77-78
- Wasps Club 1975-79
- President’s XV 1978
- Saracens Club 1978
- Zingari-Richmond Invit XV 1978
- President’s Overseas XV (in England) 1971 (4), 4t
- World XV (in Sth Africa) 1977 (2)
- Congress XV (in Fiji) 1980
- NZ Juniors Trial 1967
- NZ Juniors (Under 23) 1967
- South Island 1968-69, lt
- North Island 1971-72-73-74-75, 1t
- NZ Trials 1967 (2) -68 -69 -70 (2) -71 (2) -72 -73 -74 (2) -75 -76 -77, 15g,6t, 21 pts
- NEW ZEALAND 1967 (8) -68 (9) -69 (2) -70 (16) -71 (4) -72 (36) -73 (5) -74 (14) -75 -76 (14) -77 (4), 113g (39 tests), 50t (16 in tests), 180pts
- Career: 286g, 114t, 406pts
- Flanker
- All Black captain 1972-73
- Poverty Bay captain from 1971
- captained both North and South Island teams
- ed Patutahi PS; King’s C 1960-64, XV ’62-64
- A biography, Kirky, by Lindsay Knight, was published 1979, Farmer
- MBE 1980
Inducted to the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2014
One of the most prolific try-scoring forwards the game has known and a pioneering specialist in the blindside position.
In only his second test Ian Kirkpatrick scored a hat-trick of tries off the bench against Australia and from then on remained a stalwart of the team, winning 39 caps from 1967-77. His 16 tries stood as a national record until Stu Wilson surpassed the figure in 1983.
In 1972, with Colin Meads affected by injuries and others such as Brian Lochore retired, he became the All Black captain. He held the post for two seasons.
Kirkpatrick was equally prolific for Poverty Bay and Canterbury, amassing 115 tries in 289 first-class games until his retirement from all rugby early in the 1979 season.
In 1986 he managed the New Zealand Cavaliers when they made their unauthorised tour of South Africa. In more recent times, he has mentored various All Black sides.
Ian Kirkpatrick – ALL BLACK #666
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Tall at 1.90m and naturally athletic, Kirkpatrick quickly made the transition from schoolboy star and by 1966, having just turned 20, he entered first class rugby with Poverty Bay. He made his first international appearance that year along with his close friend Hamish Macdonald in the combined Poverty Bay-East Coast side against the touring British Lions. By 1967 both Kirkpatrick and Macdonald had moved to Canterbury to further their farming careers and while Macdonald took longer to emerge Kirkpatrick’s star was already in ascendancy. After appearing in the New Zealand under 23 side Kirkpatrick was plucked from relative obscurity by coach Fred Allen for the All Black side to tour Britain and France. Kirkpatrick was only 21 but already was playing with skill and maturity and a measure of his progress was reflected in the fact that for the international against France he was given his test debut in preference to the great Kel Tremain. At that time the specialist role of a blindside flanker was not as defined as it has become in modern times and often flankers were used on the right and left side. But Kirkpatrick and Tremain were the forerunners of the way the number six position has evolved. In 1968 against Australia in Sydney Kirkpatrick was only a reserve. But Brian Lochore broke a thumb and with the International Board having just released its rule forbidding replacements Kirkpatrick came from the bench to score a hat-trick of tries. From then on Kirkpatrick remained an automatic test selection and by the time he was inexplicably dropped from the tour of France in 1977 he had amassed 38 caps, a large number in an era when there were considerably fewer tests played. He scored, too, 16 test tries, which was the New Zealand record until eclipsed by Stu Wilson in 1983. And in 1972, with Colin Meads affected by injuries and others such as Brian Lochore retired, he became the All Black captain. He held the post for two seasons, including the stormy tour of Britain and France in 1972-73, and there was a perception despite his considerable dignity that the captaincy did not sit easily with him. He was thus displaced in the role in 1974 by Andy Leslie, but continued to be one of the All Blacks’ foremost players. He was in colossal form on the 1974 tour of Australia and again later that year in Ireland, Wales and against the Barbarains. In the win against Wales he scored the winning try but in a curious decision that match was not given official test status. There were numerous other distinctions for Kirkpatrick. 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 the Canterbury and then the North (in 1972-73) when he had returned home to Poverty Bay. And in the last of 33 appeances for Canterbury against Hawke’s Bay he was in a winning Ranfurly Shield side. Kirkpatrick suffered two public indignities which he did not deserve. He had no official warning he was being replaced as All Black captain and was told of the change along with everyone else under the Athletic Park grandstand after the 1974 trials. And he was told of his omission from the tour of France in 1977 by his brother Colin on the Poverty Bay team bus. Ironically, there is a feeling that Kirkpatrick in the latter stages of his career was better qualified to captain the All Blacks than when he had the position and been handicapped by poor management. Kirkpatrick retired from all rugby early in the 1979 season. In latter years Kirkpatrick has remained close to rugby, often being consulted by the media for comments. He has also led many supporter groups on tour and was manager of the Cavaliers when they made their unauthorised tour of South Africa in 1986. In recent years he has been used, too, as a mentor to All Black sides. In 2003 the International Rugby Hall of Fame Trust inducted Kirkpatrick into the sport’s International Hall of Fame. Profile by Lindsay Knight |
Ian Kirkpatrick, from the time he was starring in the mid 1960s as a first XV loose forward at Auckland’s Kings College, was always a player who instantly left an impression that he had been born, in the phrase of Terry McLean, to the rugby purple.
| FULL NAME | Ian Andrew Kirkpatrick |
| BORN | Friday, 24 May 1946 in Gisborne, New Zealand |
| AGE | 76 |
| PHYSICAL | 1.90m, 102kg |
| POSITION | Flanker |
| LAST SCHOOL | King’s College |
| RUGBY CLUB (First made All Blacks from) |
Rangiora |
| PROVINCES | Canterbury, Poverty Bay ( Cap # 757) |
| ALL BLACK DEBUT | Wednesday, 18 October 1967 v Eastern Canada at Montreal aged 21 years, 147 days |
| INTERNATIONAL DEBUT | Saturday, 25 November 1967 v France at Paris aged 21 years, 185 days |
| LAST TEST | Saturday, 13 August 1977 v British & Irish Lions at Auckland aged 31 years, 81 days |
| ALL BLACK TESTS | 39 (1 as a substitute) 39 |
| ALL BLACK GAMES | 74 (1 as a substitute) 74 |
| TOTAL ALL BLACK MATCHES | 113 (2 as a substitute) 113 |
| STARTING POSITIONS | Jersey Number 6 : 9 Jersey Number 7 : 27 Jersey Number 8 : 2 Jersey Number 16 : 1 |
| ALL BLACK CAPTAINCY | 43 as Captain |
| ALL BLACK TEST POINTS | 57pts (16t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m) |
| ALL BLACK GAME POINTS | 123pts (34t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m) |
| TOTAL ALL BLACK POINTS | 180pts (50t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m) |
| ALL BLACK NUMBER | 666 |
ALL BLACK GAMES THAT KIRKPATRICK PLAYED(+) = substitute; (-) = replaced |
| Click on the date below to view the Match Card |
1967 |
| 18 Oct vs Eastern Canada at Montreal 40-3 |
| 1 Nov vs South of England at Bristol 16-3 |
| 8 Nov vs West Wales at Swansea 21-14 |
| 15 Nov vs South-East France at Lyon 16-3 |
| 18 Nov vs France B at Toulouse 32-19 |
| 21 Nov vs South-West France at Bayonne 18-14 |
| 25 Nov vs France at Paris 21-15 |
| 13 Dec vs East Wales at Cardiff 3-3 |
1968 |
| 21 May vs Sydney at Sydney 14-9 |
| 28 May vs Junior Wallabies at Adelaide 43-3 |
| 15 Jun vs Australia at Sydney 27-11 (+) |
| 18 Jun vs Queensland at Brisbane 34-3 |
| 22 Jun vs Australia at Brisbane 19-18 |
| 25 Jun vs F.R.U. President’s XV at Suva 33-6 |
| 13 Jul vs France at Christchurch 12-9 |
| 27 Jul vs France at Wellington 9-3 |
| 10 Aug vs France at Auckland 19-12 |
1969 |
| 31 May vs Wales at Christchurch 19-0 |
| 14 Jun vs Wales at Auckland 33-12 |
1970 |
| 14 Jun vs A.R.U. President’s XV at Perth 52-3 |
| 24 Jun vs Paul Roos’ XV at Bethlehem 43-9 |
| 27 Jun vs Griqualand West at Kimberley 27-3 |
| 4 Jul vs South-West Africa at Windhoek 16-0 |
| 11 Jul vs Transvaal at Johannesburg 34-17 |
| 13 Jul vs Western Transvaal at Potchefstroom 21-17 (+) |
| 18 Jul vs Orange Free State at Bloemfontein 30-12 |
| 25 Jul vs South Africa at Pretoria 6-17 |
| 1 Aug vs Eastern Province at Port Elizabeth 49-8 |
| 8 Aug vs South Africa at Cape Town 9-8 |
| 15 Aug vs Western Province at Cape Town 29-6 |
| 25 Aug vs Southern Universities at Cape Town 20-3 |
| 29 Aug vs South Africa at Port Elizabeth 3-14 |
| 2 Sep vs North-East Cape at Burghersdorp 85-0 (Captain) |
| 5 Sep vs Northern Transvaal at Pretoria 19-15 |
| 12 Sep vs South Africa at Johannesburg 17-20 |
1971 |
| 26 Jun vs British & Irish Lions at Dunedin 3-9 |
| 10 Jul vs British & Irish Lions at Christchurch 22-12 |
| 31 Jul vs British & Irish Lions at Wellington 3-13 |
| 14 Aug vs British & Irish Lions at Auckland 14-14 |
1972 |
| 13 May vs New Zealand Juniors at Wellington 25-9 (Captain) |
| 16 May vs Marlborough at Blenheim 59-10 (Captain) |
| 18 May vs Mid-Canterbury at Ashburton 52-7 (Captain) |
| 20 May vs Southland at Invercargill 30-9 (Captain) |
| 23 May vs Wanganui at Wanganui 39-21 (Captain) |
| 25 May vs Counties at Pukekohe 42-8 (Captain) |
| 27 May vs North Auckland at Whangarei 33-15 (Captain) |
| 31 May vs Wairarapa-Bush at Masterton 38-0 (Captain) |
| 3 Jun vs Manawatu at Palmerston North 37-9 (Captain) |
| 19 Aug vs Australia at Wellington 29-6 (Captain) |
| 2 Sep vs Australia at Christchurch 30-17 (Captain) |
| 16 Sep vs Australia at Auckland 38-3 (Captain) |
| 19 Oct vs British Columbia at Vancouver 31-3 (Captain) |
| 28 Oct vs Western Counties at Gloucester 39-12 (Captain) |
| 31 Oct vs Llanelli at Llanelli 3-9 (Captain) |
| 4 Nov vs Cardiff at Cardiff 20-4 (Captain) |
| 11 Nov vs London Counties at London 24-3 (Captain) |
| 18 Nov vs Ulster at Belfast 19-6 (Captain) |
| 22 Nov vs North-Western Counties at Workington 14-16 (Captain) |
| 25 Nov vs Scottish Districts at Hawick 26-6 (Captain) |
| 28 Nov vs Gwent at Ebbw Vale 16-7 (Captain) |
| 2 Dec vs Wales at Cardiff 19-16 (Captain) |
| 6 Dec vs Midland Counties (West) at Moseley 8-16 (Captain) |
| 9 Dec vs North-Eastern Counties at Bradford 9-3 (Captain) |
| 16 Dec vs Scotland at Edinburgh 14-9 (Captain) |
| 20 Dec vs Southern Counties at Oxford 23-6 (Captain) |
| 30 Dec vs East Glamorgan at Cardiff 20-9 (Captain) |
1973 |
| 2 Jan vs South-Western Counties at Redruth 30-7 (Captain) |
| 6 Jan vs England at London 9-0 (Captain) |
| 13 Jan vs Midland Counties (East) at Leicester 43-12 (Captain) |
| 20 Jan vs Ireland at Dublin 10-10 (Captain) |
| 24 Jan vs Neath and Aberavon at Neath 43-3 (Captain) |
| 27 Jan vs Barbarians at Cardiff 11-23 (Captain) |
| 31 Jan vs South-West Selection at Tarbes 12-3 (Captain) |
| 3 Feb vs France B at Lyon 23-8 (Captain) |
| 10 Feb vs France at Paris 6-13 (Captain) |
| 1 Aug vs New Zealand Juniors at Dunedin 10-14 (Captain) |
| 4 Aug vs NZRFU Presidents XV at Wellington 28-35 (Captain) |
| 8 Aug vs New Zealand Maori at Rotorua 18-8 (Captain) |
| 11 Aug vs NZRFU Invitation XV at Auckland 22-10 (Captain) |
| 15 Sep vs England at Auckland 10-16 (Captain) |
1974 |
| 1 May vs South Australia at Adelaide 117-6 |
| 8 May vs Victoria at Melbourne 41-3 |
| 15 May vs N.S.W. Country at Dubbo 27-4 |
| 18 May vs N.S.W. at Sydney 20-0 |
| 25 May vs Australia at Sydney 11-6 |
| 1 Jun vs Australia at Brisbane 16-16 |
| 3 Jun vs Queensland Country at Toowoomba 29-0 |
| 8 Jun vs Australia at Sydney 16-6 |
| 9 Nov vs Munster at Limerick 14-4 |
| 13 Nov vs Leinster at Dublin 8-3 |
| 20 Nov vs Connacht at Galway 25-3 (Captain) |
| 23 Nov vs Ireland at Dublin 15-6 |
| 27 Nov vs Wales XV at Cardiff 12-3 |
| 30 Nov vs Barbarians at London 13-13 |
1975 |
| 14 Jun vs Scotland at Auckland 24-0 |
1976 |
| 5 Jun vs Ireland at Wellington 11-3 |
| 30 Jun vs Border Invitation XV at East London 24-0 |
| 10 Jul vs South African Invitation XV at Cape Town 31-24 |
| 14 Jul vs Boland Invitation XV at Wellington 42-6 |
| 17 Jul vs Western Province at Cape Town 11-12 |
| 24 Jul vs South Africa at Durban 7-16 |
| 31 Jul vs Transvaal at Johannesburg 12-10 |
| 7 Aug vs Eastern Transvaal at Springs 26-12 |
| 14 Aug vs South Africa at Bloemfontein 15-9 |
| 21 Aug vs Northern Transvaal at Pretoria 27-29 |
| 28 Aug vs Natal at Durban 42-13 |
| 4 Sep vs South Africa at Cape Town 10-15 |
| 11 Sep vs Orange Free State at Bloemfontein 10-15 |
| 18 Sep vs South Africa at Johannesburg 14-15 |
1977 |
| 18 Jun vs British & Irish Lions at Wellington 16-12 |
| 9 Jul vs British & Irish Lions at Christchurch 9-13 |
| 30 Jul vs British & Irish Lions at Dunedin 19-7 |
| 13 Aug vs British & Irish Lions at Auckland 10-9 |
POINTS SCORED FOR THE ALL BLACKS |
t | c | p | dg | pts |
| vs Eastern Canada, 18 Oct 1967 | 2 | – | – | – | 6 |
| vs South-East France, 15 Nov 1967 | 1 | – | – | – | 3 |
| vs France B, 18 Nov 1967 | 1 | – | – | – | 3 |
| vs South-West France, 21 Nov 1967 | 1 | – | – | – | 3 |
| vs France, 25 Nov 1967 | 1 | – | – | – | 3 |
| vs Sydney, 21 May 1968 | 1 | – | – | – | 3 |
| vs Junior Wallabies, 28 May 1968 | 1 | – | – | – | 3 |
| vs Australia, 15 Jun 1968 | 3 | – | – | – | 9 |
| vs Wales, 14 Jun 1969 | 1 | – | – | – | 3 |
| vs Griqualand West, 27 Jun 1970 | 1 | – | – | – | 3 |
| vs Eastern Province, 1 Aug 1970 | 2 | – | – | – | 6 |
| vs South Africa, 8 Aug 1970 | 1 | – | – | – | 3 |
| vs North-East Cape, 2 Sep 1970 | 3 | – | – | – | 9 |
| vs British & Irish Lions, 10 Jul 1971 | 1 | – | – | – | 3 |
| vs Marlborough, 16 May 1972 | 1 | – | – | – | 4 |
| vs Southland, 20 May 1972 | 2 | – | – | – | 8 |
| vs North Auckland, 27 May 1972 | 1 | – | – | – | 4 |
| vs Wairarapa-Bush, 31 May 1972 | 2 | – | – | – | 8 |
| vs Australia, 2 Sep 1972 | 2 | – | – | – | 8 |
| vs Australia, 16 Sep 1972 | 1 | – | – | – | 4 |
| vs British Columbia, 19 Oct 1972 | 2 | – | – | – | 8 |
| vs Cardiff, 4 Nov 1972 | 1 | – | – | – | 4 |
| vs South-Western Counties, 2 Jan 1973 | 1 | – | – | – | 4 |
| vs England, 6 Jan 1973 | 1 | – | – | – | 4 |
| vs Midland Counties (East), 13 Jan 1973 | 1 | – | – | – | 4 |
| vs Neath and Aberavon, 24 Jan 1973 | 1 | – | – | – | 4 |
| vs NZRFU Presidents XV, 4 Aug 1973 | 1 | – | – | – | 4 |
| vs South Australia, 1 May 1974 | 2 | – | – | – | 8 |
| vs Victoria, 8 May 1974 | 1 | – | – | – | 4 |
| vs N.S.W. Country, 15 May 1974 | 1 | – | – | – | 4 |
| vs Australia, 25 May 1974 | 1 | – | – | – | 4 |
| vs Australia, 8 Jun 1974 | 1 | – | – | – | 4 |
| vs Connacht, 20 Nov 1974 | 2 | – | – | – | 8 |
| vs Wales XV, 27 Nov 1974 | 1 | – | – | – | 4 |
| vs Ireland, 5 Jun 1976 | 1 | – | – | – | 4 |
| vs Natal, 28 Aug 1976 | 1 | – | – | – | 4 |
| vs South Africa, 18 Sep 1976 | 1 | – | – | – | 4 |
| vs British & Irish Lions, 30 Jul 1977 | 1 | – | – | – | 4 |
| Totals | 50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 180 |
| NB: includes seven tries at three points | |||||
TEST RECORD BY NATION |
P | W | D | L | t | c | p | dg | pts |
| Australia | 8 | 7 | 1 | – | 8 | – | – | – | 29 |
| British & Irish Lions | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | – | – | – | 7 |
| England | 2 | 1 | – | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | 4 |
| France | 5 | 4 | – | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | 3 |
| Ireland | 3 | 2 | 1 | – | 1 | – | – | – | 4 |
| Scotland | 2 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| South Africa | 8 | 2 | – | 6 | 2 | – | – | – | 7 |
| Wales | 3 | 3 | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | 3 |
| Totals | 39 | 25 | 3 | 11 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 57 |
