Kyren Taumoefolau: 'You’ve got to rep where you're from'

On May 17, 2025, Kyren Taumoefolau scored the most famous hat-trick in Moana Pasifika history – three stunning tries in a 27-21 upset of defending Super Rugby Pacific champions the Blues at North Harbour Stadium in Albany.

A little more than a year later, Taumoefolau is an essential part of another Chiefs side with a genuine shot at winning their first title since 2013, concluding the regular season in second place with their 47th all-time meeting against the Blues in Hamilton on Saturday night. Meanwhile, Moana Pasifika’s future beyond their match against the Brumbies in Canberra this week remains unconfirmed.

“Those three tries against the Blues were surreal,” Taumoefolau told RugbyPass.

“I can’t wait to go again in a different jersey. Before that game, there was a lot of outside noise about how there was only one team in the 09. You try to block those distractions, but you do see them, and they provide a little extra fuel.

“I’ve got a lot of love, Moana. It’s devastating for my Moana brothers and sisters. They gave me my first break in Super Rugby. I hope everyone gets paid out and finds new opportunities.”

With five tries and eight wins in nine games, Taumoefolau has made the most of his new home in Hamilton.

But following four runner-up finishes since 2021, doubt still lingers that the Chiefs can deliver a championship that has been elusive for 13 years. Against the Crusaders in Christchurch last Friday night, the Chiefs led for 65 minutes, with a Taumoefolau try, but lost 36-32 in an eerily similar setback to the 2021, 2023, and 2025 finals, which they lost narrowly to the Crusaders.

“She was a tough old battle. They won more vital moments than we did. Big games come down to little moments, and we have to be better,” Taumoefolau said.

“We’re moving forward from that game. We take the learnings, especially winning more moments in the last minutes. We’ll be ready for them next time.”

Head-to-Head

Last 5 Meetings

Wins

3

Draws

0

Wins

2

Average Points scored

21

24

First try wins

60%

Home team wins

40%

Cards, box-kicks and chaos, the winger’s role in contemporary rugby is not as straightforward as it used to be. Taumoefolau has always been a top-notch finisher. Indeed, he represented Tonga at the 2023 Rugby World Cup and scored a try in their only win, 45-24 against Romania. How does he handle the sundry duties?

“It’s true a lot of Kiwi teams like to kick, force territory and apply pressure. You’ve got to get up on that ball, secure it for the boys, and either look for space via the boot or passing and running,” Taumoefolau responded.

“For cards, we train scenarios. You don’t want to overcomplicate it, but if we lose a hooker, the wing might have to throw to the lineout or mark the space nearby. If ten is sent off, we have to tighten the defence by standing more inwards. Little things. Obviously, we aim to keep everyone on the field.

“When we beat the Hurricanes, we were down for 65 minutes but won big moments at the end. You have to be on for 80 minutes, especially against all the Kiwi sides.”

The Hurricanes have won five matches in a row since the extra-time defeat on April 18 to the Chiefs, when Wallace Sititi scored an improbable try from a charge down in Luke Jacobson’s 100th Chiefs appearance.

Following his nine-try campaign for Moana Pasifika in 2025, Taumoefolau has started eight of his nine appearances for the Chiefs, scoring doubles in the 42-14 win against the Waratahs on April 4 and another against his old team, Moana Pasifika, in a 62-17 thumping a week later.

He has made the most of his opportunities while All Blacks Emoni Narawa and Leroy Carter have been out of the starting XV with injuries, but his performances will be of little surprise to those familiar with Taumoefolau’s exploits in Blenheim. A gun, First XV player in the Marlborough Boys’ College First XV, coached by his dad, Tonga, who took them to the Miles Toyota Premiership semi-finals for the first time for a decade in 2025. Kyren represented Tonga as a teenager in the 2022 World Sevens Series event in Hamilton, scoring tries against Great Britain, when his side upset Australia, Uruguay and Kenya, as Tonga picked up their first competition points of the series. Later that year, he helped the Waitohi premier side win the Premier club title for the first time.

A Rugby World Cup campaign with Tonga followed in 2023, and then the first of two years with Moana Pasifika, during which he featured in half of their 14 all-time victories.

In addition to his three tries in the aforementioned win against the Blues, he also dotted down in wins against the Hurricanes (40-31), Waratahs (27-12), and Western Force (22-14).

In 2025, he scored 15 tries in 23 first-class games, just one behind Will Jordan, who had 16 tries in 27 games. Tasman teammate Macca Springer, with 17 tries in 16 games, was the leading try scorer in all first-class rugby in New Zealand in 2025.

Taumoefolau played Super Rugby before he played NPC for Tasman. He has scored eight tries in 21 games for the Mako, with the undoubted highlight being winning the Ranfurly Shield 25-24 off Hawke’s Bay at McLean Park in Napier on September 7, 2024.

The following week, Tasman defeated eventual NPC champions Wellington 28-15 at Lansdowne Park, Blenheim, to defend the Log o’ Wood. Taumoefolau scored a stunning try in that game. Tasman also defended the Shield against Auckland 31-17 at Trafalgar Park in Nelson before losing it to Neil Barnes-coached Taranaki 42-29.

“You’ve got to rep where you’re from. It’s good to see Marlborough Boys’ doing so well. Our defence coach at the Chiefs, All Black David Hill, is a Blenheim boy,” Taumoefolau enthused.

“When we had the Shield, it was huge in the community. Lots of families and old players came out to acknowledge us, even the 1973 team that won it.”

On July 28, 1973, Marlborough beat Canterbury 13-6 in Christchurch to win the Ranfurly Shield for the first time. All Black winger Brian Ford, who scored 109 tries in 196 first-class games, scored his most famous try with a searing bust from well past halfway. Taumoefolau was almost as fast as Ford.

“Oh, true,” the buoyant Taumoefolau laughed.