CHANGE OF PACE

After more than 500 games of elite rugby, JOHN AFOA is enjoying a more relaxed life at Auckland University RFU

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JOHN AFOA still looks like he could pack down in a scrum. In fact, he laced up the boots again for the odd match in 2024, including for the Classic All Blacks. Now, at 41, he's retired from the top-level code and content to take a trip down memory lane with Rugby World after a career spanning 21 years of first-class rugby and 516 elite games on both sides of the world.

We meet at Auckland University RFC. It was here that Afoa played his first senior club rugby after leaving St Kentigern College, where he'd won his NZ Schools spurs and a 1A first XV title, the latter alongside fellow south Aucklanders Jereme Kaino and Joe Rokocoko. Afoa is the general manager of the club, has been since late 2023, a gregarious presence and a jack of all trades. He takes up the story of how he came to be here.

“I was on Seek. I was thinking about playing again after the 2023 NPC (with Bay of Plenty) and I was talking to a few clubs, but in reality I knew I was done,” says Afoa. “By chance, Dan Braid (AURFC board member and former Blues and All Blacks team-mate) called asking if I'd come and interview for the role after some change at the club.

“That was it. I told them that I don’t know if this will be me forever but it was a great chance to get back to Auckland, do something within rugby which I still enjoy, learn some new skills and just get settled again.”

One of his first big days at the club came with the 2023 NZR Club of the Year award. He says he felt like a fraud having just got his feet under the desk after the club had built new unisex changing rooms, done some good work connecting with the community and fielded an impressive eight senior teams.