Mealamu
Keven Mealamu is one of the finest hookers to ever represent New Zealand. Discover everything about this All Blacks legend with RugbyPass.
Keven Mealamu Bio
Keven Mealamu is a giant of New Zealand rugby who was capped a whopping 132 times by the All Blacks. In his long and illustrious career, he won the Rugby World Cup for his country twice and made more than 150 appearances for the Blues in Super Rugby. Keven Mealamu was inducted into the RugbyPass Hall of Fame in 2021.
Born 20 March 1979, Keven Mealamu spent most of his junior career playing as a flanker before he moved to the hooker position in 1998. Only a year later, he made his professional debut for Auckland, where he then stayed for the entirety of his provincial career.
In 2000, Keven Mealamu made his first appearance in Super Rugby, when he represented the Blues for the first time. Barring a brief stint with the Chiefs in 2002, he played all of his Super Rugby career with the Blues, capturing the Super Rugby Championship in 2003. In total, he made 164 appearances for the side between 2000 and 2015.
Although he was exceptional at the domestic level, Keven Mealamu is undoubtedly best known for his All Blacks career. Between 2002 and 2015, he was capped 132 times by his country and became a core part of the leadership group. As a result, he also led the haka for the All Blacks 31 times.
On the pitch for the All Blacks, Keven Mealamu became known for his hard-tackling and big hits. His physicality was incredibly effective, too. Thanks in large part to his contributions, New Zealand won the Rugby World Cup in both 2011 and 2015. He then immediately retired after winning the 2015 edition of the tournament.
Since retiring from rugby, Keven Mealamu has showcased his skills as an artist and illustrator. He was also appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to rugby in 2016.
