Kieran Read (born 26 October 1985) is a rugby union player for the Crusaders in the Super Rugby competition and New Zealand internationally. He plays as a blind-side flanker or No.8. In 2009 he supplanted Rodney So'oialo as the All Blacks first choice No.8.
Read was brought up, and played his childhood rugby in a small town known as Drury, located in the Counties Manukau region just south of Auckland. Attending Opaheke Primary as a child (where his mother teaches[citation needed]) and Rosehill College as a teenager (with a short interlude for one year in 2000 at Saint Kentigern College[citation needed]). Moving back to Rosehill in 2001, Read immediately excelled in all aspects of school life, especially the sports field. At Rosehill, he performed with distinction, gaining top marks all the way through to the end of seventh form. That year he achieved Head Boy status at the 2000-student school, along with Sportsman of the Year, and Sports all-rounder of the year. Read was also a talented cricketer, representing Northern District age group teams as well as being selected for the New Zealand U17 tournament side in 2002.[citation needed] He is married to Bridget Read (née Funnell).[citation needed]
Many dubbed him as an up-and-coming Black Cap, as his ability as a batsman was just as obviously exceptional as his skills as a rugby player. But Read focused his efforts on rugby, and only one year out of high school, he was selected by the Canterbury R.F.U, and began his professional career in their development squad. Rising quickly through the ranks, Read played his first N.P.C game in 2006, his second year out of college.
