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| Birth name | Keven Filipo Mealamu | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | (1979-03-20)20 March 1979 (age 45) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Tokoroa, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft11+1⁄2 in)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 111 kg (17 st 7 lb)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Aorere College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Keven Filipo MealamuMNZM (born 20 March 1979) is a former New Zealandrugby union footballer. He played athooker for theBlues inSuper Rugby,Auckland in theNational Provincial Championship, and theNew Zealand national team. He was part of the Blues team that won the 2003 Super 12 title, the third for the franchise. He was a key member of2011 and2015 Rugby World Cup winning teams, becoming one of only 21players who have won the Rugby World Cup on multiple occasions.
In aBledisloe Cup test match against Australia on 20 October 2012, Mealamu became the third All Black to reach 100 test appearances.[3]
The grandson of Samoan immigrants,[4] Mealamu was raised inTokoroa where his father, a body building champion, worked at the local timber mill.[5] The family eventually moved toAuckland due to the decline of the timber industry.[6] He is a former student ofAorere College, where his brother and former Manu Samoa player Luke Mealamu currently works as a social worker. As a schoolboy he played as aflanker for New Zealand Under-16s and New Zealand Schools before switching tohooker in 1998.[6] After finishing school he worked as an apprenticesignwriter in case his rugby career did not work out.[5]
Mealamu made his provincial debut forAuckland in 1999 againstNorth Harbour.[7] He first played for theBlues in 2000, but had a stint with theChiefs in 2002 – the same year he debuted for the All Blacks. Mealamu also made a fine contribution to the start of the All Blacks'2006 Tri Nations campaign with two tries against theWallabies during the first match. Mealamu captained the Blues through their 2006 Super 14 campaign, but was forced to relinquish the captaincy in 2007 due to his commitments to the All Blacks. In 2014, he made his 150th appearance for the Blues, becoming the first player in Super Rugby history to make 150 appearances for one team.[8]
Mealamu made his debut for the All Blacks on 23 November 2002, againstWales atMillennium Stadium inCardiff.[9] He was made test captain in the test match againstScotland during the All Blacks 2008 Grand Slam tour, as regular captainRichie McCaw was a reserve for that match. He was a part of New Zealand's 2011 Rugby World Cup winning squad.
Mealamu was known for his hard-tackling approach to the game.[10][11]
The2015 Rugby World Cup final on 31 October was his last match as an All Black. He was one of six senior players who retired from International rugby after the competition.[9]
In the2016 New Year Honours, Mealamu was appointed aMember of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to rugby.[12]
Mealamu became an important part of the leadership team of the national side[13][11] and led thehaka for the All Blacks 31 times. He led theKa Mate version 23 times and the newerKapa o Pango version 8 times. He first led the team in September 2007 againstItaly. In his final international test he led theKapa o Pango haka before thefinal against Australia during the2015 Rugby World Cup.
Mealamu was elected to thePapakura Local Board in 2019.[14] In the2022 Auckland local elections, Mealamu ran for the position ofFranklin ward councillor, losing toAndy Baker.[15][16]
Mealamu is a skilled artist and has illustrated several books to raise money for theStarship Children's Hospital.[11] He was appointed to the board ofCreative New Zealand in December 2024.[17]
A practising Catholic, Mealamu and his wife Latai, whom he married in 2003,[5] have two children.[4]