'Most honourable week of my life': Sullivan on Maori All Blacks captaincy nod

Bailyn Sullivan is not renowned for saying much, but when asked why he was appointed Maori All Blacks captain for their one-game tour of Japan, he could barely utter a word.

“I think I’m asking myself the same questions. It’s obviously a huge privilege and honour to lead the boys,” Sullivan told RugbyPass.

”It’s a short campaign. It will probably be the best and most honourable week of my life. I’m looking forward to that. It’s still a bit of a shock.”

Sullivan can’t recall any previous captaincy experience.

“Nah, not really, bro. But I guess that’s the beauty of the Maori All Blacks, you can chuck anyone in there, and they’ll lead with mana and pride. That’s what I’m looking forward to doing.”

Coach Tamati Ellison interrupted, “I think that sometimes our problem is our humility. I think the first thing he does is he leads on the field. He plays a physical brand of rugby. He’s an explosive ball carrier and physical on the defensive side. I think that in a short campaign, having someone who can command respect and lead straight away is important.

“Bailyn made his debut for the Maori All Blacks in 2022 and has grown into an experienced member of this group. He has been able to learn from the leaders who have come before him, and now it’s his time to step forward.”

With five players – Adam Lennox, Reon Paul, Tahlor Cahill, Torian Barnes, and Payton Spencer – all set to make their debuts against a Japan XV at Paloma Mizuho Stadium, Nagoya, experience is important for a side that was beaten by Scotland 29-26 in July 2025 and by a Japan XV 26-14 a year earlier.

Those results are a far cry from the glory days of Matt Te Pou, who won 35 of 40 matches as a coach between 1995 and 2005, or the successful Centenary campaign of 2010, when Ireland (31-28) and England (35-28) were toppled.

Fixture

Rugby Union Hybrid Friendlies

Japan XV

03:05

27 Jun 26

Maori All Blacks

All Stats and Data

Sullivan has experienced the highs and lows of being a professional player. He has played 81 games for 21 tries with Waikato in the NPC. He won an NPC Premiership in 2021, scoring two tries in the 23-20 win over defending champions Tasman in the final. He was also part of the Ranfurly Shield-winning team against Taranaki (23-22) in 2025.

A breakthrough in Super Rugby was harder to come by. Injury and lack of form saw him play only eight games in four seasons for the Chiefs.

A move to Wellington yielded greater fortune. He has played 50 games for the Hurricanes, including 10 in their recent championship triumph. Ironically, in 2025, he scored four tries as a reserve in a 35-17 win against the Chiefs in Wellington.

A highlight of his Maori All Blacks career was playing in the 32-17 win against Ireland in Hamilton in 2022. He has played the Japan XV three times, scoring a try in a 36-10 win against them in 2024 and then losing in the aforementioned Toyota Stadium shocker. In 2025, the Maori won 53-20.

“It’s bloody hot over here,” Sullivan observed when asked about the threat of the Japanese.

“They’re fast. They like to get downhill. They like to get the ball in hand. Quick taps, quick throw-ins. Whenever they get an opportunity to run the ball, they will. And so we’ve just got to stay on our toes on defence and punish them when we get an attack.”

Sullivan also has a quick instinct for what constitutes a good culture. He says that from pre-season, the Hurricanes’ experienced, settled, and tight-knit squad felt equipped for success. The Hurricanes won 14 of their 17 Super Rugby Pacific games in 2026 and finished the season with a Super Rugby record 113 tries, beating their previous record of 97 in 2017. They also scored a record 745 points, bettering their previous record of 660, also in 2017. The Hurricanes have scored 50 or more points in a match 32 times, with a record eight of those, or a quarter, in 2026.

In the Maori All Blacks, where you’re from is just as important as where you’re going. From the Ngati Kahungunu iwi, Sullivan played his junior rugby for Napier Pirates. Founded in 1886, Pirates have won the Maddison Trophy 18 times and produced All Blacks like prop Harry Frazer, a World War II soldier and carpenter who helped renovate the club’s gym in 1958, and 2011 Rugby World Cup winner Israel Dagg. His dad, Wallace, and mum, Stacey, have been involved with the club their whole lives, with Wallace a Maddison Trophy winner. Brother Zarn Sullivan is also a Maori All Black.