'That's all she wrote': Ex-Maori All Blacks captain announces sudden retirement

Former Maori All Blacks captain Kurt Eklund has announced his sudden retirement from rugby due to a neck injury.

The 82-cap Blues hooker, who hasn’t featured on the field since round 14 of the Super Rugby Pacific season, made the announcement ahead of Bay of Plenty’s final game of the NPC round-robin.

Eklund, 34, was a key figure in the Blues’ all-conquering 2024 season, earning him an All Blacks XV call-up and further Maori All Blacks honours before he assumed captaincy of the latter team in 2025.

A 50-cap Bay of Plenty Steamer, the hooker’s larger-than-life personality featured strongly in each of his team environments. His departure from the Blues was signalled earlier this year, with pen put to paper on a deal with the Leon MacDonald-led Canon Eagles. Eklund was due to arrive in Kanagawa alongside ex-All Blacks Stephen Perofeta and Samipeni Finau, among others, before his injuries intervened.

“That’s all she wrote,” Eklund said in a post shared to social media on Saturday.

“I’ve been battling neck injuries for the past few years, and I’ve been told that it’s in my best interest to step away from the game. So that’s what I’m going to do.

“If you had told 10-year-old me that I would have been able to achieve all the things I’ve been able to, I would have thought you were joking. I just want to take this time to thank all the teams, the players, the management, and especially the fans for coming along on this journey with me, and for creating some of the memories that I’ll never forget.

“Kurtye signing out.”

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A post shared by Kurt Eklund (@kurteklund05)

Among the flood of comments on the post, former All Blacks captain Sam Cane labelled Eklund a “top man” while Du’Plessis Kirifi heralded him as “One of the greats”. Ruben Love thanked Eklund for making him feel welcome on his first day in the Maori All Blacks camp in 2022, saying: “Will never forget. Respect bro!”

Close friend and Bay of Plenty teammate Naitoa Ah Kuoi took to Instagram to dedicate a post to Eklund’s career and character.

“He led, we followed,” the Chiefs lock wrote.

“One of the best teammates I’ve ever had that I’ll forever call my brother. Always brought the best out of everyone and was always willing to give whatever it takes to help. You led through your relentless and brutal actions and gave everything it took to win. A true testament to the man you are.

“I’m gutted your rugby journey’s been cut short, but I’m very grateful to have shared the field with you, my guy. You epitomise the warrior spirit and have always been there to lend a helping hand off the field, no matter what it was.
Can’t wait to make more memories off the field and see you in your next chapter in life! Love ya Rodin.”

Off the field, Eklund is a passionate advocate for the marine environment, with a social media presence centred around his love of fishing.