Maori All Blacks Captain Kurt Eklund Retires at 34 Due to Neck Injury

• Kurt Eklund, a key figure in the Blues' 2024 championship-winning season, revealed he had been battling neck injuries for several years
• The 82-cap hooker had already signed with Japanese club Canon Eagles before his injuries forced the decision
• Former All Blacks captain Sam Cane and close teammates paid tribute to Eklund after his announcement on social media

Former Maori All Blacks captain Kurt Eklund has retired from professional rugby at 34 after persistent neck injuries left him with no option but to walk away from the game.

Eklund, who accumulated 82 caps for the Blues and 50 appearances for Bay of Plenty, announced via a social media post on Saturday, 3 October 2026, just before Bay of Plenty's final NPC round-robin fixture.

Eklund's Career Cut Short by Injury

The hooker had not played since round 14 of the Super Rugby Pacific season and had already finalised a move to the Leon MacDonald-coached Canon Eagles in Japan's Kanagawa, where he was set to join former All Blacks Stephen Perofeta and Samipeni Finau. Those plans were ended when his medical situation worsened.

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"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," Eklund wrote in the post.

He reflected on a career that surpassed his own childhood expectations.

"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," he added, signing off with: "Kurtye signing out."

Eklund was central to the Blues' dominant 2024 season, a campaign that earned him a call-up to the All Blacks XV and led to him being appointed captain of the Maori All Blacks in 2025.

Tributes Pour in From Former Teammates

The announcement drew an outpouring of tributes from across the rugby community.

Former All Blacks captain Sam Cane described Eklund as a "top man," while Du'Plessis Kirifi called him "One of the greats." Ruben Love recalled Eklund making him feel at home on his first day in the Maori All Blacks camp in 2022, writing: "Will never forget. Respect bro!"

Away from rugby, Eklund is a well-known advocate for the marine environment, with his social media platforms largely dedicated to his love of fishing.

Source: Briefly News