NZ 2011 Government Ambassadors

Five All Black greats have signed up to be New Zealand 2011 Government Ambassadors. They will promote New Zealand as a fantastic place to visit and do business when we host Rugby World Cup 2011. The five ambassadors are Jonah Lomu, Sean Fitzpatrick, John Kirwan, David Kirk and Andrew Mehrtens.

Ngā Māngai NZ2011 kua whiriwhiria e te Kāwanatanga

Tokorima ngā māia o mua o te Kapa Opango kua whakaae ki te tū hei māngai NZ2011 mo te Kāwanatanga. Ko tā rātou he whakanui i a Aotearoa hei waahi toro, he waahi mahi umanga hoki a te wā ka tū te Ipu Whutupōro o te Ao 2011 ki kōnei. Ko ngā māngai tokorima, ko Jonah Lomu, ko Sean Fitzpatrick, ko John Kirwan, ko David Kirk rātou ko Andrew Mehrtens.

Sean Fitzpatrick

Sean Fitzpatrick was an inspirational All Black captain, leading the team in a record 51 tests between 1986 and 1997. The dynamic hooker played 91 tests all up before a chronic knee injury forced his retirement in 1998.

With his father, Brian Fitzpatrick, an All Black from 1951 – 1954, Fitzpatrick had rugby in his blood. He is the world’s most-capped hooker and one of the most-capped All Blacks. In 1997 he was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit for his contribution to the game.

Since his retirement, Fitzpatrick remains active in rugby. He spent some time as a consultant to the New Zealand Rugby Football Union responsible for player development and liaison. He also managed the New Zealand Colts sides and the Blues in the Super 12, before moving on in 2004 to become a television commentator in Britain.

David Kirk

David Kirk’s place in New Zealand rugby folklore was cemented when he held the William Webb Ellis Cup aloft at Eden Park in 1987, after the All Blacks won the inaugural Rugby World Cup.

His involvement with New Zealand rugby as a player was surprisingly brief, ending when he was only 26 because of a recurring hamstring injury, and the opportunity to take up a Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford University in England.

On his return to New Zealand, Kirk was Wellington's representative coach from 1993-94 and later became a media commentator. In his professional career he served on the staff of Prime Minister Jim Bolger as a senior policy advisor, was CEO of Australian Paper company PMP and Fairfax's CEO for three years. He us currently chairman of the board of the Hoyts theatre group.

John Kirwan

When John Kirwan made his All Black debut in 1984 at the age of 19, his youth, speed and strength captured the imagination of the rugby-going public and led to a sparkling rugby career that spanned a decade. When he retired in 1994, the nimble winger had played 63 tests with the All Blacks and scored 35 tries (then the New Zealand record). In his first class career he tallied 199 tries, another New Zealand record for first-class rugby.

After retiring he briefly switched codes, spending two seasons playing rugby league for the Warriors. A stint as manager and assistant coach with the Blues in the Super 12 was followed by time playing and coaching in Japan. He coached the national Italian side from 2002-2005 before returning to Japan in 2007 to coach the national rugby team.

Jonah Lomu

Jonah Lomu burst onto the world rugby scene in the World Cup of 1995 as the All Blacks' star player.

In 1994 he became the youngest man to play test rugby for the All Blacks, at 19 years and 45 days. By the end of his career he had played 185 first class games in which he scored 122 tries. Thirty-seven of those tries were in his 63 test matches for the All Blacks.

His physical presence and speed made him a phenomenon. Standing 1.96m and weighing up to 120kgs, Lomu in top physical condition could run 100 metres in around 11 seconds. He was slowed only by a kidney illness, a condition that eventually brought a premature halt to his All Black career in 2002.

Lomu is now based in the south of France, where he plays for Marseille-Vitrolles, a semi-professional club in the French minor league.

Andrew Mehrtens

Andrew Mehrtens is among the elite of New Zealand first fives. His stunning All Black debut in 1995 saw him score 28 points in a test match against Canada.

In his 12-year career he played 281 first class games tallying 3,178 points. He played in 70 tests for the All Blacks, scoring 967 points for the national side. This test aggregate was a record at the time. Over the course of his rugby career, his skills became renowned, especially his kicking and ability to throw long cut out passes.

His last test as an All Black was in 2004, and the next year he left New Zealand to play for the Harlequins in Britain. Later, he moved to France where he now plays for the Paris-based Racing Metro 92 team.