Keven Mealamu
New Zealand
player portrait
Full name Keven Filipo Mealamu
Born March 20, 1979, Tokoroa
Current age 44 years 365 days
Major teams Auckland, Barbarians, Blues, New Zealand
Position Hooker
Height 5 ft 11 in
Weight 242 lb

Test career
Span Mat Start Sub Pts Tries Conv Pens Drop Won Lost Draw %
All Tests 2002-2015 132 77 55 60 12 0 0 0 114 16 2 87.12
Bledisloe Cup 2003-2015 31 19 12 15 3 0 0 0 24 5 2 80.64
IRB Rugby World Cup 2003-2015 20 12 8 10 2 0 0 0 19 1 0 95
The Rugby Championship 2003-2015 54 30 24 25 5 0 0 0 42 11 1 78.7

Career statistics
Test debut Wales v New Zealand at Millennium Stadium, Nov 23, 2002 match details
Last Test Australia v New Zealand at Twickenham, Oct 31, 2015 match details
Test Statsguru Main menu | Career summary | Match list | Most points | Most tries | Tournament list
Profile

All Blacks hooker Keven Mealamu made his international debut against Wales at the Millennium Stadium in 2002, while playing his Super 12 rugby for the Chiefs.

Mealamu has played the vast majority of his club and provincial rugby for Auckland and the Blues however, debuting for Auckland in 1999. A compact and powerful hooker, he has scrapped for the All Blacks' No.2 jersey with Anton Oliver and Andrew Hore for much of his career.

In 2005, Mealamu was involved in an incident during the first Test between the All Blacks and the British & Irish Lions, when he and skipper Tana Umaga spear tackled Lions captain Brian O'Driscoll. O'Driscoll dislocated his shoulder and missed the rest of the tour, while Umaga and Mealamu were condemned by the International Rugby Board.

Mealamu was in fine form during the 2005 Tri-Nations and played a key part in the first of three Grand Slam tours of the northern hemisphere with the All Blacks later that year. His second would come in 2008 when he also led his country for the first time - against Scotland at Murrayfield.

He remained an integral part of the All Blacks' set-up throughout 2009 and he made the No.2 jersey his own in 2010 when Hore was sidelined with a shoulder injury. That spell included New Zealand's Tri-Nations triumph but a four-week suspension for headbutting England captain Lewis Moody during their clash at Twickenham later that year brought an abrupt end to his run in the side.

Despite the setback, Mealamu impressed throughout the 2011 Super Rugby campaign and coach Graham Henry is favoured the Blues man as the Kiwi's first choice hooker in the 2011 World Cup. Mealamu played a central role in the All Blacks triumphant campaign, despite a shaky performance against France in the final.

Born in the Waikato town of Tokoroa, he came through South Auckland's Aorere College into New Zealand's age-grade sides before making his provincial debut for Auckland in 1999. He made his Super Rugby debut the following year and last year deservedly became the first Blues player to play 100 games for the franchise.

Latest Articles
Mealamu to take on Ambassador role in retirement (Aug 25, 2015) Blues turnaround not enough to stop Highlanders (Apr 18, 2015) Chiefs overcome gritty Blues without Sonny Bill (Apr 4, 2015) Lions break Blues' hearts with three-point win (Mar 7, 2015) Mealamu's milestone built on hard work, spare boots (Mar 5, 2015) Keven Mealamu news and articles (87) »
Latest Photos
Nov 2, 2015
New Zealand's Keven Mealamu poses with an All Blacks supporter at Heathrow Airport
New Zealand's Keven Mealamu poses with an All Blacks supporter at Heathrow Airport
©  Getty Images
Sep 26, 2015
New Zealand's Waisake Naholo, Keven Mealamu and Beauden Barrett enjoy an open-top bus tour with sponsor AIG,
New Zealand's Waisake Naholo, Keven Mealamu and Beauden Barrett enjoy an open-top bus tour with sponsor AIG,
©  Getty Images
Aug 15, 2015
Conrad Smith, Daniel Carter, Ma'a Nonu, Keven Mealamu, Richie McCaw and Tony Woodcock celebrate victory
Conrad Smith, Daniel Carter, Ma'a Nonu, Keven Mealamu, Richie McCaw and Tony Woodcock celebrate victory
©  Getty Images
Jun 12, 2015
The Blues' Keven Mealamu waves goodbye to Eden Park
The Blues' Keven Mealamu waves goodbye to Eden Park
©  Getty Images
Keven Mealamu rugby photos (67) »

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