‘There’s good conversations’: Hurricanes leader on potential All Blacks selection

Hurricanes co-captain Du’Plessis Kirifi is probably the most talked-about player in New Zealand right now, and his performances so far in Super Rugby Pacific have backed up the social media hype. 

Kirifi was in and around selection for the All Blacks end-of-year tour in late 2024 before being named captain of the All Blacks XV squad for their two games. 

With Sam Cane retiring from international rugby at the end of last year, the No.7 starting spot for Scott Robertson’s All Blacks is still up for grabs.

Kirifi, who joined The Breakdown for an exclusive interview over the weekend, says that his conversations with the All Blacks coaches have been positive this year, leading him to sign on with NZR to the end of 2027. 

“I‘ve had some really awesome conversations with the All Blacks management—open chats about the future. And I guess the reality is, in New Zealand Rugby, I wouldn’t say there was a tipping point regarding my decision, but I felt really privileged to be able to talk to them, have their valuable time, and just be really open and honest about where I sit and what the future holds,” Kirifi said on The Breakdown.

The Hurricanes co-captain admitted he’s aspired to wear the black jersey from a young age, but knows that playing well for the Hurricanes in Super Rugby Pacific is key to making that dream a reality.

“I‘ve said it a few times, but I feel like any person who’s playing professional rugby in New Zealand and is eligible to play for the All Blacks should really be aspiring to do so.

“For me personally, I definitely have always aspired to be an All Black from a young age, and it’s been a goal that’s been written down and put up on the wall next to my bed.

“Becoming an All Black is a byproduct of just becoming a good person and the best possible player that I can be and in the meantime, in doing so, that means that I can put my best foot forward for the Hurricanes, which I’m really enjoying doing at the moment.”

Kirifi talked about the laws of the game at the breakdown, as he believed the rules were heading in the right direction this year in Super Rugby Pacific.

“I do feel like the rules are in a good place, they allow the game to flow so the attacking team is being rewarded more and more.

“In past years, if a tackler was in the ruck, but someone came in for the jackal, they would be rewarded for the jackal, whereas now the attacking teams are rewarded if the tackler is lying there.

“So it allows the game to flow, which as a product, makes rugby better for viewers.”

At the start of the season, Hurricanes head coach, Clark Laidlaw, made a huge decision to name four captains for the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season, an unusual call in professional rugby. 

Kirifi was chosen alongside Brad Shields, Asafo Aumua and Billy Proctor as the leaders of the group, something that the 28-year-old says is working smoothly.

“It’s a unique beast, but we find that it’s working really well for us. The four of us have completely different personalities, so we offer four different perspectives on the group and what we’re doing at any given time.

“I feel extremely lucky to be able to work alongside those three boys.”

This weekend’s matchup against the Blues at Eden Park is an important one for both teams, but Kirifi is confident that his group of players have turned a corner after back-to-back wins against the Highlanders and Waratahs. 

“We’ve got some big games coming up, but it’s really nice to see the boys be rewarded for how hard we work during the week, and see the work and the learnings transfer from Monday and Tuesday over into game day.

“So it’s a testament to the coaches as well, we’ve got world-class coaches, and I feel like our results haven’t been doing their coaching justice.

“For us to put a performance like that out on Friday against a really good Waratahs team, it’s not just pleasing, but I’m just really proud of the group, coaches and management.”