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, born on April 6, 1983, is a famous former New Zealand rugby union player. He was named the best Under-21 player in the world in 2004. In 2011, he was voted New Zealand's best rugby player. Jerome was a very important player for the All Blacks when they won the Rugby World Cup in both 2011 and 2015. He is one of only 20 players ever to win the Rugby World Cup more than once!
He played 137 games for the Blues team. This means he's a 'Super Rugby centurion' because he played 100 or more games. Many people think Kaino is one of the greatest rugby players of all time. Jerome is also special because he was the second person from the United States with Samoan family to play for the All Blacks. The first was Frank Solomon back in 1931.
Contents
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 4 years old, his family moved from their village in American Samoa to Papakura, Auckland, in New Zealand.
After moving to Papakura, 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 Saint Kentigern College, where he even got a scholarship for rugby. He went to both schools with another future All Black player, John Afoa. If Jerome had not moved to New Zealand, his family thought he might have joined the United States Army.
Playing for Rugby Clubs
Auckland and Blues Teams
Jerome Kaino started playing for the Auckland team in 2004. He then joined the Blues team in 2006. Before joining the Blues, Kaino played against the British & Irish Lions in 2005.
In 2012, it was announced that Kaino would leave the Blues to play for a Japanese team called Toyota Verblitz. He signed a two-year deal with them after the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
However, on October 4, 2013, Kaino shared that he would return to New Zealand rugby. He signed a new two-year contract with the New Zealand Rugby Union, North Harbour, and the Auckland Blues. He came back to New Zealand in February 2014, just in time for the 2014 Super Rugby season.
Kaino 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, Kaino played his 100th game for the Blues. Sadly, the Blues lost that game 24-25 to the Cheetahs. Kaino's time as captain didn't last long, as James Parsons became captain during the 2016 Super Rugby season.
On September 8, 2017, Kaino played for Auckland again for the first time since 2010. He played as number 8, but Auckland lost 38-49 to Taranaki.
Playing for Toulouse in France
On February 17, 2018, there were rumors that Kaino might move to France after the 2018 Super Rugby season. A week later, Kaino confirmed he would leave New Zealand. The French team Toulouse then announced that Kaino would join them. His former All Blacks and Blues teammate, Charlie Faumuina, was already playing there.
While playing for Toulouse, he helped them win the Top 14 championship in 2019 and 2021. They also won the European Rugby Champions Cup in 2021. Jerome was a very important player for the French team.
In June 2021, Kaino decided to retire from playing rugby. He stayed in France and became a skills coach for Toulouse. He also became an assistant coach for their Under-21 team.
Jerome Kaino's International Rugby Career
Starting with the All Blacks
Even though Jerome didn't have a Super Rugby contract for the 2005 season, he was called to join the All Blacks at the end of 2004. Kaino played his first game for the All Blacks on December 4, 2004. He started as a blindside flanker against the Barbarians team in London. Kaino played the whole game and even scored a try! The All Blacks won that game 47-19.
Kaino played his first two official test matches for New Zealand against Ireland in 2006. He didn't play for New Zealand again until 2008 because he was injured and missed the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
In 2008, Kaino became a very important player for the All Blacks. Many people compared his strong and physical playing style to Jerry Collins. After he recovered from his injury, Kaino became the first-choice blindside flanker for the national team.
In 2011, Kaino played a huge part in the All Blacks winning the 2011 Rugby World Cup. He started in every single game of the tournament. He played almost every minute of every game, only coming off for the last few seconds of the semi-final against Australia. He scored four tries during that World Cup!
Playing in 2014 and 2015
Kaino came back to the All Blacks after playing in Japan. In 2014, during a three-game series against England, he temporarily took over as number eight. This was because Kieran Read, the usual number eight, was resting due to a concussion. Kaino started at number 8 for the first two games. The second game, on July 14, 2014, was his 50th test match for the All Blacks. Kaino celebrated this special game with a close 28-27 win for the All Blacks.
In the third game, Kaino moved back to blindside flanker after Read recovered. This meant Liam Messam lost his starting spot. Kaino ended his 2014 season, where he played eight games for the All Blacks, by scoring his only try of the year. This helped the All Blacks beat Wales 34-16 on November 22, 2014.
Kaino was chosen for the 2015 Rugby World Cup as part of New Zealand's 31-player squad. He reached many milestones in this competition, playing in all seven All Blacks games. His best performances were in the quarter-final on October 17, 2015, where the All Blacks beat France 62-13. He also played well in the semi-final's 20-18 win against South Africa on October 24, 2015. He scored tries in both of these knockout games. However, he also got a yellow card for being offside against South Africa in the semi-final.
Kaino, along with teammates Sam Whitelock and Sonny Bill Williams, made a record. They played in their 14th straight World Cup win when New Zealand beat Australia 34-17 on October 31, 2015. This win helped them secure their third Rugby World Cup title. Kaino was replaced by Victor Vito with nine minutes left in the World Cup final.
Playing in 2016 and 2018
Kaino had some injuries in 2016, but he still played in 12 test matches for New Zealand. He scored his last international try for New Zealand on August 20, 2016, when the All Blacks beat the Wallabies 42-8. This season also included a surprising 40-29 loss to Ireland in Chicago. In that game, Kaino played out of his usual position as a lock. This was because Brodie Retallick and Sam Whitelock were injured. Kaino struggled in this new role and was replaced by Scott Barrett in the 45th minute.
Kaino recovered from a knee injury and was chosen for the All Blacks' squad in 2017. This included the Pasifika Challenge and a three-game series against the British & Irish Lions. Kaino was one of the few players to play against the Lions in more than one tour. He played in the first game of the 2017 series on June 24, 2017, starting at blindside flanker at Eden Park. Kaino was substituted in the 45th minute, replaced by Ardie Savea, as the All Blacks won 30-15.
Sadly, Kaino was substituted less than 30 minutes into the second game of the Lions series. This was because his Blues teammate Sonny Bill Williams received a red card. Kaino was replaced by Ngani Laumape so the All Blacks would not be short a player. Kaino also received a yellow card in the third game for hitting Lions player Alun Wyn Jones with his arm. The series ended in a 1-1 draw, which was disappointing for Kaino and the All Blacks.
After the Lions series, Kaino was chosen for the 2017 Rugby Championship. However, he did not play in the competition for personal reasons. His absence meant he lost his starting spot to Liam Squire and Vaea Fifita. Kaino started at number 8 in the All Blacks' 31-22 win over the Barbarians on their end-of-year tour. But he was substituted in the 45th minute due to a knee injury and replaced by Sam Cane.
In 2018, Kaino announced he was signing with Toulouse in France. This meant he was effectively retiring from playing international rugby for New Zealand.
Jerome Kaino's Awards and Achievements
With Auckland
- NPC/Air New Zealand Cup: 2005, 2007
- Ranfurly Shield: 2007-08 (5)
With Stade Toulousain (Toulouse)
- Top 14: 2019, 2021
- European Rugby Champions Cup: 2021
With New Zealand (All Blacks)
- Rugby World Cup: 2011, 2015
- Tri Nations/The Rugby Championship: 2008, 2010, 2014, 2016, 2017
See also
In Spanish: Jerome Kaino para niños
