Passion for the Game

What is immediately obvious about John Kirwan, coach of the Japanese rugby side, is his passion for the game that has given him a living for the past 28 years. Auckland-born Kirwan, recently in the UAE for Japan’s Asian 5 Nations game with the UAE, lives for rugby. While still an All Black regular and one of the best wingers in the world, he would spend his off-seasons playing in Italy for Benetton Treviso, the game’s backwater during the late-198s. Kirwan was able to win a World Cup, the All Blacks’ only success to date at that, and on home soil. Did the fact they were at home make it harder? “I think playing in your back yard helps because when the pressure is on you, you can drive home and your mum will cook you a home cooked meal and tell you off,” Kirwan reveals. So, does he think the All Blacks can end their 24-year wait for a second triumph? “We all know that the New Zealand side is the best in the world, they just need to overcome the psychological hurdle, which is running out there in the semi-finals and finals and making some hard calls and winning some hard games.” As an All Black, Kirwan appears on the list of the highest try scorers in rugby union history, scoring 35 tries in 63 tests.