Jerome Kaino facts for kids
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| Birth name | Jerome Kaino | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 6 April 1983 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Faga'alu, American Samoa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 110 kg (240 lb; 17 st 5 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Papakura High School St Kentigern College |
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| Children | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Jerome Kaino is a famous former New Zealand rugby union player. He was born on April 6, 1983. He is known for being a very strong and important player.
In 2004, Jerome was named the best Under-21 player in the world by the International Rugby Board. Later, in 2011, he was chosen as New Zealand's Rugby Player of the Year. He was a key part of the All Blacks teams that won the Rugby World Cup in 2011 and again in 2015. This made him one of only 20 players ever to win the Rugby World Cup more than once!
Jerome played 137 games for the Blues team, which is a lot! This makes him a "centurion" in Super Rugby, meaning he played over 100 games. Many people think Jerome Kaino is one of the greatest rugby players of all time. He is also the second person of Samoan descent from the U.S. to play for the All Blacks.
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Jerome Kaino's Early Life
Jerome Kaino was born on April 6, 1983, in Faga'alu, American Samoa. He was the third of six children in his family. When he was four years old, in 1987, his family moved to Papakura, Auckland, in New Zealand.
After moving, Jerome first played junior rugby league for a team called the Papakura Sea Eagles. Later, when he was in high school, he switched to rugby union. He went to Papakura High School and then Saint Kentigern College, where he received a rugby scholarship. He attended both schools with another future All Black player, John Afoa.
Jerome Kaino's Club Rugby Career
Jerome Kaino played for several important rugby clubs during his career.
Playing for Auckland and the Blues
Jerome started his professional rugby career in New Zealand. He made his debut for the Auckland team in 2004. Then, in 2006, he played his first game for the Blues in the Super 14 competition. Before joining the Blues, he even played against the famous British & Irish Lions team in 2005.
In 2012, it was announced that Jerome would leave the Blues to play for a Japanese club called Toyota Verblitz. He signed a two-year deal with them after the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
However, Jerome missed playing in New Zealand. On October 4, 2013, he announced he would return to play for New Zealand Rugby Union, North Harbour, and the Auckland Blues. He came back in February 2014, just in time for the 2014 Super Rugby season.
Jerome had a great return to the Blues in 2014. He was even named the team's captain for the 2015 Super Rugby season, taking over from Luke Braid. On February 28, 2015, Jerome played his 100th game for the Blues. Even though the Blues lost that day, it was a big milestone for him. His time as captain didn't last long, as James Parsons became captain during the 2016 Super Rugby season.
On September 8, 2017, Jerome played for Auckland again for the first time since 2010. He played as a number 8, but Auckland lost the game.
Playing for Toulouse in France
In February 2018, there were rumors that Jerome Kaino might move to France after the 2018 Super Rugby season. A week later, he confirmed he would be leaving New Zealand. The French club Stade Toulousain, based in Toulouse, then announced that Jerome would join their team. His former All Blacks and Blues teammate, Charlie Faumuina, was already playing there.
Jerome had a very successful time in France. He helped Toulouse win the Top 14 championship in 2019 and again in 2021. He also helped them win the European Rugby Champions Cup in 2021. He was a very important player for the French team.
In June 2021, Jerome Kaino decided to retire from playing rugby. He stayed in France and became a skills coach for Toulouse and an assistant coach for their Under-21 team.
Jerome Kaino's International Career
Jerome Kaino had a long and successful career playing for the All Blacks, New Zealand's national team.
Early Days with the All Blacks
Even though he didn't have a Super Rugby contract in 2005, Jerome was called up to the All Blacks team at the end of 2004. He made his All Blacks debut on December 4, 2004, in a game against the Barbarians team in London. He played the whole game and even scored a try! The All Blacks won that game 47-19.
Jerome played his first official "test" matches for New Zealand against Ireland in 2006. He then didn't play for New Zealand again until 2008 because of an injury, which meant he missed the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
When he returned in 2008, Jerome became a very important player for the All Blacks. He was known for his strong and physical style of play. He became the team's first-choice blindside flanker.
In 2011, Jerome played a huge role in the All Blacks winning the 2011 Rugby World Cup. He started in every single game and played almost every minute. He even scored four tries during the World Cup!
World Cup Success: 2014-2015
After playing in Japan, Jerome Kaino returned to the All Blacks in 2014. During a series of games against England, he temporarily played as number eight because Kieran Read was injured. Jerome played his 50th test match for the All Blacks on July 14, 2014, which they won by a very close score of 28-27. He scored his only try of 2014 in a game against Wales, which the All Blacks won 34-16.
Jerome was chosen for New Zealand's team for the 2015 Rugby World Cup. He played in all seven of the All Blacks' games in the competition. He had amazing performances in the quarter-final against France, which the All Blacks won 62-13, and in the semi-final against South Africa, which they won 20-18. He scored tries in both of these important knockout games.
On October 31, 2015, Jerome, along with teammates Sam Whitelock and Sonny Bill Williams, made history by playing in their 14th straight World Cup win. New Zealand beat Australia 34-17 to win their third Rugby World Cup title. Jerome was replaced by Victor Vito near the end of the final game.
Later International Years: 2016-2018
Jerome Kaino had some injuries in 2016, but he still played in 12 test matches for the All Blacks. He scored his last international try for New Zealand on August 20, 2016, when the All Blacks beat the Wallabies 42-8. In one game against Ireland, he had to play in an unfamiliar position as a lock because other players were injured. He struggled in this role and was replaced during the game.
In 2017, Jerome recovered from a knee injury and was selected for the All Blacks team to play against the British & Irish Lions. He played in the first test match at Eden Park, which the All Blacks won. However, he was substituted early in the second test after his teammate Sonny Bill Williams received a red card. In the third test, Jerome received a yellow card for a foul. The series ended in a 1-1 draw, which was disappointing for the All Blacks.
After the Lions series, Jerome was selected for the 2017 Rugby Championship but did not play for personal reasons. This led to other players taking his starting spot. Jerome played one more game for the All Blacks against the Barbarians but left the game early due to another injury.
In 2018, Jerome announced he was signing with Toulouse in France. This meant he was effectively retiring from playing international rugby for New Zealand.
Jerome Kaino's Rugby Achievements
Jerome Kaino won many awards and championships during his rugby career.
With Auckland
- NPC/Air New Zealand Cup: 2005, 2007
- Ranfurly Shield: 2007-08 (5 defenses)
With Stade Toulousain
- Top 14: 2019, 2021
- European Rugby Champions Cup: 2021
With New Zealand
- Rugby World Cup: 2011, 2015
- Tri Nations/The Rugby Championship: 2008, 2010, 2014, 2016, 2017
See also
In Spanish: Jerome Kaino para niños
