Akira Ioane

Akira Ioane was born in Auckland, New Zealand, on June 16, 1995. His family has a strong rugby background; his father, Eddie Ioane, played as a lock for Samoa internationally, and his mother, Sandra Wihongi, was a Black Fern. Ioane attended Auckland Grammar School. He joined New Zealand Sevens in 2014, making his debut at the Wellington Sevens and contributing to the team’s 12th World Series title with a silver medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The same year, Ioane earned a Blues contract for the 2015 Super Rugby season.

Ioane’s career progressed rapidly. In 2015, he played for Auckland and was a key member of the New Zealand Under 20 team that secured the World Championship title in Italy. He also made his debut for the Māori All Blacks against Fiji in Suva that year. He continued to perform strongly for the Blues, marking his 100th game for the franchise on May 13, 2023, against the Crusaders. In 2017, he played a significant role in the Blues’ victory over the British & Irish Lions and was called up for the All Blacks as injury cover.

His international career with the All Blacks began with a debut on November 14, 2017. Ioane was named in the All Blacks squad for the 2020 Rugby Championship after strong performances in Super Rugby and the North vs. South match. In 2023, he was selected for the All Blacks XV squad for their tour to Japan. After ten years with the Blues, culminating in a Super Rugby Pacific championship win in 2024, Ioane announced his move to Japan, joining the Hanazono Kintetsu Liners for the 2024-2025 Japan Rugby League One season.