Kieran Read

Rugger
name = Kieran Read
dateofbirth = Birth date and age|1985|10|26
placeofbirth = flagicon|New Zealand Papakura, New Zealand
height = height|m=1.93
weight = convert|105|kg|stlb|abbr=on
ru_position = Flanker/Lock
ru_nationalteam = New Zealand Schools New Zealand Under-19 New Zealand Under-21 Junior All Blacks
ru_nationalcaps =
ru_nationalpoints =
ru_nationalyears = 2003 2004 2005,2006 2007
ru_clubyears = 2006- 2007-
ru_clubcaps = 25 29
ru_clubpoints = (25)
ru_proclubs = Canterbury Crusaders

Kieran Read born 26 October, 1985 is a rugby union player for the Crusaders in the Super 14 competition. He plays as a blind-side flanker, but has the ability and height to play in the lock position.

Read was brought up, and played his childhood rugby in a small town known as Drury, located in the Counties Manukau region just south of Auckland. Counties has been notorious over the years for producing some of the world's best rugby players, including Jonah Lomu, Pita Alatini, Joeli Vidiri and many more. Attending Opaheke Primary as a child (where his mother teaches) and Rosehill College as a teenager, Read immediately excelled in all aspects of school life, especially the sports field. In his fourth form year, he was offered a handsome scholarship by St. Kentigern's College, who had previously secured John Afoa and Joe Rokocoko, two of their three All Blacks, through financial offers. Read tried the scholarship out, but decided that he didn't enjoy private school life. Returning to Rosehill, he again performed with distinction, gaining top marks all the way through to the end of seventh form. That year he achieved Head Boy status at the 2000-student school, along with Sportsman of the Year, and Sports all-rounder of the year.

Many dubbed him as an up-and-coming Black Cap, as his ability as a batsmen was just as obviously exceptional as his skills as a rugby player. But Read focused his efforts on rugby, and only one year out of high school, he was snatched by the Canterbury R.F.U, and began his professional career in their development squad. Rising quickly through the ranks, Read played his first N.P.C game in 2006, his second year out of college. He proceeded to play for the Crusaders in the Super 14 in 2007, and has secured his position as the starting blind-side in the team in 2008. In these few years, Read has matured as a player leaps and bounds, and was the star number 6 of the 2008 Super 14 season. He and Richie McCaw work exceptionally well together around the field, and he has become notorious for his copy-book tackles made all game long, his superb speed and running support play around the field, and his outstanding ability in turning the ball over in ruck situations.

Read was expected by many to make the recent All-Blacks squad selection (01/06/08), and many people have voiced their disappointment in his non-selection. However, at just 22 years old, he has time on his side, and is likely to make the end-of-year All Black selection. Coming from a humble little country village, Kieran Read is an exciting prospect for NZ rugby, and is already acknowledged as one of the best blind-side flankers in the game.

References

External links

* [http://www.crusaders.co.nz/profile/kieran-read/24/player-details.aspx Crusaders profile]