Jerome Kaino

Jerome Kaino is one of the finest flankers to ever play the sport. Widely considered as a great of the game, he’s won multiple Rugby World Cups and beat both Richie McCaw and Ma'a Nonu to the prestigious New Zealand Player of the Year award in 2011.

Jerome Kaino was inducted into the RugbyPass Hall of Fame in 2021.

Born 6 April 1983 in American Samoa, Jerome Kaino moved to Papakura, Auckland when he was four. During his younger years, he primarily played rugby league. However, he made the switch to rugby union in secondary school.

In 2004, Jerome Kaino made his Auckland debut. Only two years later, he made his debut for the Blues in Super Rugby. Since, Jerome Kaino has spent the majority of his domestic career with these sides. In the process, he has made more than 130 appearances for the Blues, and he captained the side in 2015. During this period of his career, he also enjoyed a brief spell with Toyota Verblitz in Japan (2012-14).

In 2018, Jerome Kaino decided to leave New Zealand and signed for Toulouse in the French Top 14. He’s stayed with the side ever since and has racked up more than 50 appearances for the French giants. In this time, he’s claimed both the Top 14 and the Heineken Champions Cup.

Although he’s been incredible at the domestic level, most rugby fans know Jerome Kaino as an All Black. Between 2004 and 2017, he was capped by his country 83 times. During this period, he won the Rugby World Cup in 2011 and 2015 and the Tri Nations (now The Rugby Championship) on several occasions.

With several years of elite rugby still ahead of him, we can’t wait to see what else Jerome Kaino can achieve with Toulouse.