Robert Kururangi
rugby union player
- July 4, 1957 · Gisborne
- October 2, 2026
- 69 years
About Robert Kururangi
Robert Kururangi, 69, New Zealand rugby union player (Counties, national team). (death announced on this date)
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60 Seconds Life Story
Born in Gisborne in 1957, Robert Kururangi followed his father into rugby before serving as a soldier in the
Robert Kururangi
1957 – 2026
60 Seconds: Robert Kururangi's Life Story
A tribute to Robert Kururangi, the soldier and Counties rugby star who scored four tries on the 1978 All Blacks tour.
Transcript
Born in Gisborne in 1957, Robert Kururangi followed his father into rugby before serving as a soldier in the New Zealand Army. Playing on the wing for Counties, Kururangi became a standout finisher, scoring forty-eight tries across ninety-eight games and winning the 1979 First Division. His rapid rise earned him selection for the New Zealand national team on their 1978 tour of Britain and Ireland. Kururangi made eight appearances on that historic tour, crossing the try line four times in the famous black jersey. He continued to excel on the pitch, representing the New Zealand Maori during their 1982 tour of Wales and Spain. Kururangi passed away in 2026 at the age of sixty-nine, remembered as a dedicated soldier and prolific All Blacks winger.
Play the illustrated life story above, or read the full biography on this page.
Visual credits: Coverr-Free-Footage / Pixabay (Pixabay Content License) · Lord Killanin - Howth Village (Through The Lens Of A Sigma DP1) (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Generated illustration by The Deaths Archive (Generated illustration, not a photograph) · Digitised from the Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, AWNS-19240612-47-2 and AWNS-19240612-47-1 Originally published in a supplement to the Auckland Weekly News 12 June 1924 pp. 46-47 More source information see [1] Fullpage: http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/dbtw-wpd/HeritageImages/images/photos/AWNp/1924/AWNS_19240612_p047_i000_z.jpg (Public domain) · New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22805, 12 August 1937, Page 13 https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19370812.2.132 (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Generated illustration by The Deaths Archive (Generated illustration, not a photograph)
An illustrated presentation assembled inside the archive from the approved script and the credited images: narration, scene transitions and captions. Caption timing is estimated from the narration.
Narrated illustration. Images are sourced and credited; they are not presented as authenticated photographs.
Full Biography
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Robert Kururangi (4 July 1957 – 30 September 2026) was a New Zealand rugby union player.
Early life and family
Born in Gisborne on 4 July 1957, Kururangi was educated at Gisborne Boys' High School where he was a member of the school's 1st XV rugby team in 1973 and 1974. His father, Hemara (Bo) Kururangi played representative rugby for East Coast between 1957 and 1962.
Kururangi was a soldier in the New Zealand Army.
Rugby union career
A wing, Kururangi played club rugby for Ardmore. He represented Counties at a provincial level between 1977 and 1988, playing 98 games and scoring 48 tries. He was part of the Counties team that won the 1979 First Division.
A New Zealand Juniors representative in 1978, Kururangi was then selected for the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, on their 1978 tour of Britain and Ireland. He played eight matches, scoring four tries, on that tour, but did not appear in any internationals. The test spots on the wing were filled by Stu Wilson, Bryan Williams and Brian Ford.
Kururangi was an All Black trialist in 1979 and also represented the North Island and New Zealand Barbarians in 1982.
In a 1982 Ranfurly Shield challenge against Canterbury, Kururangi appeared to be heading for the match-winning try towards the end of the match, only to be called back due to the Counties midfield being offside. Robbie Deans kicked a penalty goal to draw the match 15-15, which was Canterbury's first defence and they went on to hold the Shield for a then record of almost three years.
Kururangi also took part in the 1982 New Zealand Māori rugby union tour of Wales and Spain.
Death
Kururangi died on 30 September 2026, at the age of 69.
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Kururangi
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Oct 1, 2026
- View article
- View record
- October 1, 2026
- Oct 1, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Robert Kururangi's archived record and the sources above.
1.In what city was Robert Kururangi born?
- A.Gisbornecorrect
- B.Christchurch
- C.Wellington
- D.Auckland
Robert Kururangi was born in Gisborne on 4 July 1957.
Source: Early life and family section
2.What sport did Robert Kururangi play at a professional level?
- A.Rugby unioncorrect
- B.Cricket
- C.Football
- D.Rugby league
Robert Kururangi was a New Zealand rugby union player.
Source: Introductory section
3.What school did Robert Kururangi attend where he played for the 1st XV team?
- A.Auckland Grammar School
- B.Gisborne Boys' High Schoolcorrect
- C.Hamilton Boys' High School
- D.Christchurch Boys' High School
Robert Kururangi was educated at Gisborne Boys' High School where he played for the 1st XV in 1973 and 1974.
Source: Early life and family section
4.During which years did Robert Kururangi play provincial rugby for Counties?
- A.1975–1985
- B.1982–1992
- C.1977–1988correct
- D.1970–1980
Robert Kururangi represented Counties at a provincial level between 1977 and 1988.
Source: Rugby union career section
5.How many tries did Robert Kururangi score during the 1978 All Blacks tour of Britain and Ireland?
- A.Two
- B.Six
- C.Eight
- D.Fourcorrect
Robert Kururangi played eight matches and scored four tries on the 1978 All Blacks tour.
Source: Rugby union career section
6.Who was the father of Robert Kururangi?
- A.Stu Wilson
- B.Robbie Deans
- C.Hemara (Bo) Kururangicorrect
- D.Bryan Williams
Robert Kururangi's father was Hemara (Bo) Kururangi, who played representative rugby for East Coast.
Source: Early life and family section
7.What was Robert Kururangi's profession outside of rugby?
- A.Journalist
- B.Teacher
- C.Farmer
- D.Soldiercorrect
Robert Kururangi was a soldier in the New Zealand Army.
Source: Early life and family section
8.Which club did Robert Kururangi play for at a club rugby level?
- A.Ponsonby
- B.Marist
- C.Petone
- D.Ardmorecorrect
Robert Kururangi played club rugby for Ardmore.
Source: Rugby union career section
9.In which countries did the 1982 New Zealand Māori rugby union team tour?
- A.Wales and Spaincorrect
- B.England and France
- C.Ireland and Argentina
- D.Scotland and Italy
Robert Kururangi took part in the 1982 New Zealand Māori rugby union tour of Wales and Spain.
Source: Rugby union career section
10.Which players occupied the wing positions for the All Blacks during the 1978 tour, preventing Robert Kururangi from playing an international?
- A.Colin Meads, Brian Lochore, and Ian Kirkpatrick
- B.Stu Wilson, Bryan Williams, and Brian Fordcorrect
- C.Don Clarke, Fred Allen, and Bob Scott
- D.Michael Jones, Jonah Lomu, and Jeff Wilson
The test spots on the wing during the 1978 tour were filled by Stu Wilson, Bryan Williams, and Brian Ford.
Source: Rugby union career section
11.In the 1982 Ranfurly Shield challenge, why was Robert Kururangi's potential match-winning try called back?
- A.He dropped the ball
- B.The Counties midfield was offsidecorrect
- C.He stepped out of bounds
- D.A forward pass was committed
Robert Kururangi was called back due to the Counties midfield being offside during the 1982 Ranfurly Shield match.
Source: Rugby union career section
12.How many games did Robert Kururangi play for Counties during his provincial career?
- A.108
- B.98correct
- C.88
- D.78
Robert Kururangi played 98 games for Counties during his time there between 1977 and 1988.
Source: Rugby union career section
13.On what specific date did Robert Kururangi pass away?
- A.30 September 2026correct
- B.1 January 2026
- C.4 July 2026
- D.15 October 2026
Robert Kururangi died on 30 September 2026.
Source: Death section
14.In what year did Robert Kururangi serve as a New Zealand Juniors representative?
- A.1979
- B.1980
- C.1977
- D.1978correct
Robert Kururangi was a New Zealand Juniors representative in 1978.
Source: Rugby union career section
15.What was the final score of the 1982 Ranfurly Shield challenge match between Counties and Canterbury?
- A.10-10
- B.20-20
- C.15-15correct
- D.12-12
Robbie Deans kicked a penalty goal to draw the 1982 match 15-15.
Source: Rugby union career section
16.Which teams did Robert Kururangi represent in 1982 alongside his New Zealand Māori duties?
- A.Waikato and Wellington
- B.South Island and Auckland
- C.North Island and New Zealand Barbarianscorrect
- D.New Zealand Juniors and Otago
Robert Kururangi represented the North Island and New Zealand Barbarians in 1982.
Source: Rugby union career section
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