David Kirk

Last updated

David Kirk
MBE
Birth nameDavid Edward Kirk
Date of birth (1960-10-05) 5 October 1960 (age 63)
Place of birth Wellington, New Zealand
Height1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Weight73 kg (161 lb)
School Wanganui Collegiate School
University University of Otago
Worcester College, Oxford
Occupation(s)Chief Executive Officer/Director of Rugby
Rugby union career
Position(s) Halfback
Provincial / State sides
YearsTeamApps(Points)
1982–84
1985–87		 Otago
Auckland 		27
40		 (24)
(48)
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
1983–87
1983-85		 New Zealand
NZ Universities		 17
9		 (24)
(4)

David Edward Kirk MBE (born 5 October 1960) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. He is best known for having been the captain of the All Blacks when they won the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987.

Contents

Early years

Kirk was born in Wellington and grew up in Palmerston North. [1] He was educated at Russell Street School, Wanganui Collegiate School, and the University of Otago, where he graduated with a medical degree MB ChB.

Rugby union career

Kirk played domestic rugby for Otago and Auckland, and first toured with the All Blacks in 1983. He stood out from his fellow players as "urbane, articulate and thoughtful," [2] and when the planned 1986 All Black tour to South Africa was cancelled David and John Kirwan were the only two players to refuse to join the rebel "Cavaliers" team on moral grounds—he felt that it would give comfort to the apartheid regime.

With the rebels banned from playing in the next two All Black test he captained the so-called "Baby Blacks". On the return of the rebels however, his position was uncomfortable and he was lucky to retain his place in the squad. Despite this, when original captain Andy Dalton had to withdraw with an injury, [3] Kirk was made captain—and led New Zealand to victory over France in the 1987 Rugby World Cup Final.

He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 1988 New Year Honours, for services to rugby. [4]

All Blacks statistics

Post-rugby life

Kirk abruptly retired from competitive rugby after the World Cup win, at the age of 26, to take up a Rhodes Scholarship at Worcester College, Oxford with a degree in PPE.

After his studies at Oxford, he returned to New Zealand, becoming the coach of the Wellington NPC team in 1993 and 1994 and also a media commentator. A National Party member, he sought the party's nomination for the 1992 Tamaki by-election, losing to Clem Simich. [5] Kirk was also a staffer for Prime Minister Jim Bolger, and worked as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company. Later he was employed by Fletcher Challenge, then New Zealand's largest company, and one of its successors, Fletcher Energy.

From October 2005 to December 2008 [6] he was chief executive officer of Fairfax Media—publisher of The Sydney Morning Herald , The Age and The Australian Financial Review in Australia; and The Dominion Post and The Christchurch Press in New Zealand. On occasions he wrote articles for Fairfax - commentating on rugby when journalists were on strike.

His most recent involvement with rugby came in late 2009, when he led an independent arbitration panel appointed by SANZAR to settle an impasse between its three member unions (South Africa, New Zealand and Australia) over whether the planned 15th franchise in the Super Rugby competition would be awarded to Australia or South Africa, Ultimately, Melbourne was chosen and began play in 2011.

On 24 October 2011, Kirk was inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame alongside all other Rugby World Cup-winning captains and head coaches from the tournament's inception in 1987 through to 2007 (minus the previously inducted John Eales). [7]

Current business roles

He is also a director of a number of companies, including:

Kirk was a member of the Lord Howe Island Board, having been appointed by the NSW Minister for the Environment as the representative of business and tourism on the board, a specified position on the board. [10] He was appointed on 27 November 2018 and served until 26 November 2021.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rugby union positions</span> 15 on-field positions in the sport

In the game of rugby union, there are 15 players on each team, comprising eight forwards and seven backs. In addition, there may be up to eight replacement players "on the bench", numbered 16–23. Players are not restricted to a single position, although they generally specialise in just one or two that suit their skills and body types. Players that play multiple positions are called "utility players".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richie McCaw</span> New Zealand international rugby union player

Richard Hugh McCaw is a retired New Zealand professional rugby union player. He captained the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks, in 110 out of his 148 test matches, and won two Rugby World Cups. He has won the World Rugby Player of the Year award a joint record three times and was the most capped test rugby player of all time from August 2015 to October 2020. McCaw was awarded World Rugby player of the decade (2011–2020) in 2021. McCaw is also a winner of the New Zealand sportsman of the decade award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilson Whineray</span> Rugby player

Sir Wilson James Whineray was a New Zealand business executive and rugby union player. He was the longest-serving captain of the national rugby union team, the All Blacks, until surpassed by Richie McCaw in 2014. Rugby writer Terry McLean considered him the All Blacks' greatest captain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Carter</span> New Zealand international rugby union player

Daniel William Carter is a New Zealand retired rugby union player.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Graham Henry</span> New Zealand sportsman

Sir Graham William Henry is a New Zealand rugby union coach, and former head coach of the country's national team, the All Blacks. Nicknamed 'Ted', he led New Zealand to win the 2011 World Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Rush</span> Rugby player

Eric James Rush is a New Zealand former rugby union footballer and rugby sevens legend, and now a supermarket owner. His New Zealand Sevens career began in 1988 and ran until past his 39th birthday in 2004. Rush played in more than 60 tournaments, with the highlights being two Commonwealth Games gold medals and the World Cup Sevens victory in 2001. He was also voted Best and Fairest Player at the 1991 Hong Kong Sevens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gordon Tietjens</span> Rugby player

Sir Gordon Frederick Tietjens is head coach of the Samoa rugby sevens team, and a celebrated former coach of the New Zealand men's national team in rugby sevens, the All Blacks Sevens. When the International Rugby Board inducted him into the IRB Hall of Fame in May 2012, it said that "Tietjens' roll of honour is without peer in Sevens, and perhaps in the Game of Rugby as a whole." According to Spiro Zavos, Tietjens is "The greatest of all the Sevens coaches".

Nicholas Campbell Farr-Jones AM is a former Australian rugby union footballer. His position was scrum-half. Farr-Jones debuted for the Australia national rugby union team during the 1984 Australia rugby union tour of Britain and Ireland, during which the Australia won the grand slam of rugby union when they defeated all four Home Nations. He was voted "Player of the Series" for the 1986 Australia rugby union tour of New Zealand, during which Australia became the sixth team in history to win a rugby Test series in New Zealand. He was appointed captain of the Wallabies prior to the commencement of their 1988 international season. He is probably best remembered for captaining Australia to their the 1991 Rugby World Cup. Farr-Jones retired as captain of Australia after a victory against South Africa in 1992 and temporarily ceased playing international rugby. He came out of retirement in 1993 for the single Bledisloe Cup Test and a three-Test home series against South Africa, following which he retired from international rugby. He now works at Taurus Funds Management, appears as a TV rugby commentator on UK Sky Sports and is the chairman of the New South Wales Rugby Union.

Roderick Ian Macqueen, AM is an Australian former rugby union coach. He coached Australia at the Rugby World Cup, and the Waratahs, Brumbies and Rebels in the Super Rugby competition.

Mark Darren "Sharky" Robinson is a New Zealand former rugby union and rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. He played international rugby union for the All Blacks between 1997 and 2001. He played provincial rugby in New Zealand for North Harbour and Super 12 rugby for the Waikato Chiefs and then the Auckland Blues. He briefly played rugby league for the New Zealand Warriors before moving overseas to play with Northampton and then London Wasps, both in England. He retired from professional rugby in 2010.

Norman Michael Clifford Maxwell is a former New Zealand rugby union player.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fred Allen (rugby union)</span> New Zealand rugby union footballer and coach

Sir Frederick Richard Allen was a captain and coach of the All Blacks, New Zealand's national rugby union team. The All Blacks won all 14 of the test matches they played under his coaching.

Graeme Thomas Miro Bachop is a former rugby union footballer from New Zealand. He is of Samoan, Tahitian and Cook Islands heritage.

Stephen John Bachop is a former New Zealand rugby union player and current coach. He is the older brother of fellow former All Black, Graeme Bachop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andy Leslie</span> New Zealand rugby player

Andrew Roy Leslie is a former New Zealand rugby union player. A number eight, he represented Wellington domestically and captained the All Black at international level. He was captain during the controversial 1976 New Zealand rugby union tour of South Africa. On 26 April 2007 he was elected as the president of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union.

Patric Denis O'Brien, commonly known as Paddy O'Brien, is a New Zealand international rugby union referee, and former head of the International Rugby Board's Referee Board.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Farah Palmer</span> Rugby player

Dame Farah Rangikoepa Palmer is a professor at Massey University and a former captain of New Zealand's women's rugby union team, the Black Ferns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aaron Cruden</span> New Zealand rugby union player

Aaron Wiremu Cruden is a New Zealand rugby union player, who plays for Waikato and formerly Montpellier, Manawatu and New Zealand internationally. Cruden's usual position is fly-half.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julian Savea</span> Rugby player

Sio Julian Savea is a New Zealand professional rugby union player. He currently plays wing for Moana Pasifika in Super Rugby. Savea formerly played for Toulon in the Top 14 and Hurricanes in the Super Rugby, and is a former captain of the Wellington Lions in the Mitre 10 Cup. Between 2012 and 2017, he won 54 caps for New Zealand.

References

  1. ↑ Fairfax NZ News (26 January 2009). "David Kirk now half Australian". stuff. Retrieved 16 January 2013.
  2. ↑ Rugby Heroes
  3. ↑ "All Blacks at the World Cup". All Blacks. 26 November 2003. Archived from the original on 3 April 2007. Retrieved 25 January 2007.
  4. ↑ "No. 51173". The London Gazette (3rd supplement). 31 December 1987. p. 34.
  5. ↑ Hubbard, Anthony (29 May 2011). "David Kirk tells of life after rugby". Stuff. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  6. ↑ http://nz.biz.yahoo.com/081205/3/9mfr.html [ dead link ]
  7. ↑ "RWC legends inducted into IRB Hall of Fame" (Press release). International Rugby Board. 26 October 2011. Archived from the original on 27 October 2011. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
  8. ↑ "Fairfax Media Limited (FXJ): Redirects to News & Announcements". Archived from the original on 11 December 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2011. /091111TradeMeIPOlodged.pdf
  9. ↑ "David Kirk appointed to Forsyth Barr board", 2009, NZ Herald
  10. ↑ Anonymous (19 June 2015). "David Kirk MBE - Appointed Member". www.lhib.nsw.gov.au. Archived from the original on 14 October 2020. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.