David Kirk's smile and boyish features were often described as New Zealand rugby's best public relations tools, especially in the turbulent and momentous years of 1986 and 1987. In the first year there was the turmoil caused by the Cavaliers' unauthorised tour of South Africa, and in the second, the World Cup triumph. Kirk had a central role in both.

But in view of the favourable image that he left, as a university-educated medical doctor and academic it was surprising that, if not always of his own making, his career was embroiled in so much controversy.

Kirk's late withdrawal from the Cavaliers' tour irked many of that side's senior players and organisers and that resentment was increased later in 1986 when he was made captain of the so-called Baby Blacks that played tests against France and Australia.

But some of the rifts were healed by the World Cup victory of 1987 in which Kirk suddenly found himself as the on-field captain. Jock Hobbs, who had been preferred to Kirk for the 1986 tour of France, was forced out in 1987 with recurring concussion and another Cavalier, the veteran hooker Andy Dalton, was made captain for the World Cup tournament, only to be ruled out of starting the first match against Italy with an injured hamstring. By the time he recovered, an outstanding young Sean Fitzpatrick had become the first choice hooker and so the captaincy stayed with Kirk.

Controvesy had also dogged the early Kirk representative career in Otago. He represented the province in 1982 and starred for the South Island in an upset win over the North Island that year. But for most of the period he was in Otago, coach Laurie Mains preferred Dean Kenny as his halfback, though he occasionally accommodated both. In major matches in 1984, for instance, Kenny often moved to first five eighth and Kirk, whose considerable pace had made him a successful sevens player, was sometimes used, if not always to his satisfaction, as a wing.

There were many who shared Mains' reservations about Kirk as a player. His passing was occasionally skittery, he lacked the kicking skills of a Kenny and the strength on defence of a Sid Going or the later Justin Marshall. But he suited the sharp, mobile style that was developed by Auckland in the 1980s and later adopted by the All Blacks.

Kirk moved to Auckland in 1985 and it was there under the coaching of John Hart he became a regular provincial selection. He played in Auckland's famous Ranfurly Shield win over Canterbury in 1985 and following Andy Haden's departure with the Cavaliers, took over the Auckland captaincy in 1986.

Kirk's involvement with New Zealand rugby as a player was surprisingly brief, ending when he was only 26. After the World Cup triumph he led the All Blacks to a notable Bledisloe Cup win over the Wallabies in Sydney. But he injured a hamstring in that match and that plagued him for much of the 1987 representative season.

And by this time he had taken up a Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford University in England.

Kirk, however, contributed significantly to New Zealand rugby when he made a high profile return to the country in the early 1990s. He was Wellington's representative coach in 1993-94, later became a thoughtful media contributor, both in weekly newspaper columns and on TV, and wrote an excellent and intelligent biography. He also served on the staff of Prime Minister Jim Bolger and came close to becoming the National Party's parliamentary candidate for Tamaki when Sir Robert Muldoon retired.

Kirk has been CEO of Australian Paper company, PMP since 2003. He was previously a senior policy advisor to the New Zealand Prime Minister and regional president of paper company Norske Skog (Australasia).

David Kirk was appointed as Fairfax's chief executive officer in August 2005, effective from November 21, 2005.

Profile by Bob Luxford
for the New Zealand Rugby Museum.

FULL NAME

David Edward Kirk

BORN

Thursday, 5 October 1961 in Wellington

AGE

48

PHYSICAL

1.73m, 73kg

POSITION

Halfback

LAST SCHOOL

Wanganui Collegiate

RUGBY CLUB
(First made All Blacks from)

Otago University

PROVINCES

Otago, Auckland

ALL BLACK DEBUT

Wednesday, 26 October 1983
v Edinburgh at Edinburgh
aged 22 years, 21 days

INTERNATIONAL DEBUT

Saturday, 1 June 1985
v England at Christchurch
aged 23 years, 239 days

LAST TEST

Saturday, 25 July 1987
v Australia at Sydney
aged 25 years, 293 days

ALL BLACK TESTS

17 (11 as Captain)

ALL BLACK GAMES

17 (0 as Captain)

TOTAL ALL BLACK MATCHES

34 (11 as Captain)

ALL BLACK TEST POINTS

24pts (6t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m)

ALL BLACK GAME POINTS

44pts (11t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m)

TOTAL ALL BLACK POINTS

68pts (17t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m)

ALL BLACK NUMBER

843

The All Black Games that Kirk played.
(+) = substitute; (-) = replaced

Click on the date to be taken to the Match Card

1983

 26 Oct vs Edinburgh at Edinburgh 22-6  

 5 Nov vs London Division at London 18-15  

 15 Nov vs South and South-West Counties at Bristol 18-6  

1984

 4 Jul vs Queensland B at Brisbane 37-0  

 11 Jul vs South Australia at Adelaide 99-0  

 17 Jul vs Victoria at Melbourne 65-3  

 25 Jul vs A.C.T. at Canberra 40-16  

 31 Jul vs N.S.W. Country at Tamworth 21-3  

 8 Aug vs Queensland Country at Surfers Paradise 88-0  

 14 Aug vs N.S.W. B at Gosford 21-15  

 17 Oct vs President's XV at Suva 39-0  

 24 Oct vs Eastern XV at Suva 58-0  

1985

 1 Jun vs England at Christchurch 18-13  

 8 Jun vs England at Wellington 42-15  

 29 Jun vs Australia at Auckland 10-9  

 15 Oct vs Rosario Selection at Fisherton 28-9  

 22 Oct vs Cordoba Selection at Cordoba 72-9  

 26 Oct vs Argentina at Buenos Aires 33-20  

1986

 28 Jun vs France at Christchurch 18-9  (Captain)

 9 Aug vs Australia at Wellington 12-13  (Captain)

 23 Aug vs Australia at Dunedin 13-12  (Captain)

 6 Sep vs Australia at Auckland 9-22  (Captain)

 21 Oct vs French Selection at Strasbourg 42-12  

 28 Oct vs French Selection at Toulon 25-6  

 1 Nov vs Rousillon-Languedoc Selection at Perpignan 59-6  

 8 Nov vs France at Toulouse 19-7  

 15 Nov vs France at Nantes 3-16  

1987

 22 May vs Italy at Auckland 70-6  (Captain)

 27 May vs Fiji at Christchurch 74-13  (Captain)

 1 Jun vs Argentina at Wellington 46-15  (Captain)

 6 Jun vs Scotland at Christchurch 30-3  (Captain)

 14 Jun vs Wales at Brisbane 49-6  (Captain)

 20 Jun vs France at Auckland 29-9  (Captain)

 25 Jul vs Australia at Sydney 30-16  (Captain)

Points scored for the All Blacks

t

c

p

dg

pts

vs Queensland B, 4 Jul 1984

1

-

-

-

4

vs South Australia, 11 Jul 1984

2

-

-

-

8

vs Queensland Country, 8 Aug 1984

2

-

-

-

8

vs N.S.W. B, 14 Aug 1984

1

-

-

-

4

vs Rosario Selection, 15 Oct 1985

1

-

-

-

4

vs Australia, 23 Aug 1986

1

-

-

-

4

vs French Selection, 21 Oct 1986

1

-

-

-

4

vs Rousillon-Languedoc Selection, 1 Nov 1986

3

-

-

-

12

vs Italy, 22 May 1987

2

-

-

-

8

vs Fiji, 27 May 1987

1

-

-

-

4

vs Argentina, 1 Jun 1987

1

-

-

-

4

vs France, 20 Jun 1987

1

-

-

-

4

Totals

17

0

0

0

68

Test Record by Nation

P

W

D

L

t

c

p

dg

pts

Argentina

2

2

-

-

1

-

-

-

4

Australia

5

3

-

2

1

-

-

-

4

England

2

2

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Fiji

1

1

-

-

1

-

-

-

4

France

4

3

-

1

1

-

-

-

4

Italy

1

1

-

-

2

-

-

-

8

Scotland

1

1

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Wales

1

1

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Totals

17

14

0

3

6

0

0

0

24