Brad Shields: the only man in both Hurricanes title-winning finals, with England Tests in between

The Hurricanes have won two Super Rugby titles in 30 seasons of the competition, in 2016 and 2026. Only one man played in both finals. Brad Shields started at blindside flanker when the Hurricanes beat the Johannesburg-based Lions in Wellington in August 2016, and came off the bench when they beat the Chiefs 60-5 in June 2026. In the decade between he captained the club against the British and Irish Lions, left for England, played Test rugby in a white jersey, moved on when his English club collapsed, spent a season in France and came home. He turns 36 in April 2027 and is in the Hurricanes' squad again.

Masterton, Taita and Petone

Shields was born in Masterton on 2 April 1991. He went to school at Taita College in Lower Hutt, where he played in the First XV and was deputy head boy, according to Wikipedia. He was a New Zealand Under 17 representative in 2008, and after leaving school he joined the Petone club in Wellington club rugby while captaining Wellington at under-20 level.

His path to an England jersey started at home. His parents were both born in England, the Hurricanes noted in their profile of him, which made him eligible for England as well as New Zealand.

Wellington and the Under 20 world title

Shields made his Wellington debut in 2010, aged 19. Wikipedia records the match as a 52-23 win over North Harbour at North Harbour Stadium in Albany on 10 October 2010, his only appearance that season, when injuries to Rodney Soʻoialo and Serge Lilo opened a door. The Hurricanes' profile of him names Hawke's Bay as his first provincial opponent. In 2011 he played ten games and scored his first two provincial tries.

That year he was also part of the New Zealand Under 20 side that won the IRB Junior World Championship in Italy. He played five matches and scored one try, in a 92-0 win over Wales at Stadio Comunale Mario Battaglini in Rovigo on 14 June 2011. New Zealand beat England 33-22 in the final at Stadio Plebiscito in Padua on 26 June 2011, with tries from Charles Piutau, Ben Tameifuna and Beauden Barrett.

Injury kept him out of the whole 2012 ITM Cup, but he was back for 2013 and played 11 of Wellington's 12 games as they topped the Premiership table before losing the final 29-13 at home to Canterbury. In 2014 he captained Wellington and was named the union's Player of the Year.

The Hurricanes, and a first title

The Hurricanes signed him for 2012 with little more than one season of provincial rugby behind him. He became Hurricane number 184 on 25 February 2012, coming into a side that lost 39-26 to the Stormers at Newlands in Cape Town, and he played 13 games in his first season, ten of them off the bench.

In 2013 he played all 16 of the Hurricanes' games, starting 13 and scoring three tries. A knee injury limited him to six games in 2014, but by 2015 he was a fixture. The Hurricanes reached the final that year and lost 21-14 at home to the Highlanders. A year later they went one better. Shields played 16 games in 2016, all of them starts, and on 6 August 2016 he started at No 6 in the final against the Lions, from Johannesburg, at Westpac Stadium in Wellington. The Hurricanes won 20-3 for their first Super Rugby title, and he played 74 minutes.

He was named in All Blacks training squads in 2012 and 2016, according to Wikipedia and NZ Rugby, but never won a cap for New Zealand. In November 2016 he toured with the Barbarians instead, playing all 80 minutes at No 6 in a 31-31 draw with South Africa at Wembley Stadium in London on 5 November 2016, then appearing off the bench against the Czech Republic at Stadion Markéta in Prague on 8 November 2016 and starting against Fiji at Kingspan Stadium in Belfast on 11 November 2016.

Captain against the Lions

On 27 June 2017 the touring British and Irish Lions played the Hurricanes at Wellington Regional Stadium, and Shields led the home side from No 8. He played 56 minutes of a match that finished 31-31, a draw the Hurricanes still describe as historic.

In November 2017 Wasps announced that he would join them for the 2018-19 season. With Dane Coles ruled out for the year with a knee injury, the Hurricanes still named Shields their captain for 2018. His 103rd and last game of that first spell was the semi-final against the Crusaders at AMI Stadium in Christchurch on 28 July 2018, which the Crusaders won 30-12. The Hurricanes' profile of him says he will be remembered for "his professional attitude in everything he did in and around the club".

England

Eddie Jones named Shields in England's squad for a three-Test tour of South Africa in June 2018, while he was still a Hurricanes player. His Test debut came on 9 June 2018 against South Africa at Ellis Park in Johannesburg, where he came on in the 35th minute. South Africa won 42-39. A week later, on 16 June 2018, he started at blindside at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein, a 23-12 loss.

In November 2018 he started three Tests at Twickenham in London: a 12-11 win over South Africa on 3 November, the 16-15 defeat by New Zealand, the country of his birth, on 10 November, and a 37-18 win over Australia on 24 November.

His Test tries came in the 2019 Six Nations. After coming off the bench against Wales at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on 23 February 2019, a 21-13 loss, he started against Italy at Twickenham on 9 March 2019 and scored two tries, the first after 32 minutes, in a 57-14 win. He came on again in the 38-38 draw with Scotland at Twickenham on 16 March 2019.

Injury kept him out of contention for the 2019 World Cup squad, NZ Rugby reported, and he has not played a Test since. His England record stands at eight Tests, by the count of Wikipedia's match records, the Hurricanes' player profile and the AFP news agency, with two tries and ten points. Some reports, including the Hurricanes' 2023 signing announcement and NZ Rugby, give the figure as nine.

Wasps and Perpignan

At Wasps Shields played 80 games and scored nine tries, Wikipedia records. In October 2022 the club went into administration and its players were made redundant. Within days, on 26 October 2022, he had signed for the French Top 14 club Perpignan on a short-term deal, and he played 11 games there.

Home again

On 27 March 2023 the Hurricanes announced that Shields would return for the 2024 season. "I'm extremely excited to rekindle my love and passion for the Hurricanes," he said. Head coach Jason Holland added: "We know his qualities as a leader."

He went straight back into provincial rugby with Wellington in 2023 and scored two tries that season. A year later he won the title. On 26 October 2024 he started at No 8 in the NPC final against Bay of Plenty at Sky Stadium in Wellington and played the whole match, which went to extra time before Callum Harkin kicked a penalty in the 93rd minute to win it 23-20.

Captain again

When Ardie Savea left for a season in Japan, new Hurricanes head coach Clark Laidlaw made Shields captain for 2024, with Asafo Aumua and Jordie Barrett as his vice-captains. "Actions. Always by actions is how I like to lead," Shields said. Laidlaw said he "leads really well every day" and called him "competitive as hell".

The Hurricanes led the table with nine wins from ten games by May 2024, and Shields scored tries against the Rebels in Palmerston North on 22 March 2024 and the Blues at Eden Park on 11 May 2024. Asked by 1News about replacing Savea, he said: "they're big shoes to fill." The season ended with a 30-19 semi-final loss to the Chiefs. He scored again against the Waratahs at Sky Stadium in Wellington on 28 March 2025.

A second title, ten years on

On 13 March 2026 Shields played his 132nd game for the Hurricanes, and his 100th start, against the Western Force at McLean Park in Napier. With the Hurricanes behind 11-5 and half an hour to go, he scored the first try of their comeback and they won 31-23. "A hundred starts takes a lot of doing," Laidlaw said afterwards, adding that few players go overseas and come back as he had.

The Hurricanes won their three play-off matches 66-12, 57-21 and, in the final against the Chiefs at Hnry Stadium in Wellington on 20 June 2026, 60-5, the biggest winning margin in a Super Rugby final. Shields came off the bench in the 55th minute. Comparing the Hurricanes' match-day squads for the 2016 and 2026 finals, he is the only player named in both.

Style and standing

Shields has played lock, flanker and No 8. Coaches have tended to talk about how he leads. Laidlaw's description in 2024 ran through the list: he trains the right way, he has won Super Rugby, he is a Test player and "he wants to be better". After the Napier game in 2026 Laidlaw spoke of his mental strength and his habit of putting the team first.

Where he is now

The Hurricanes named Shields in their squad for 2027 on 28 October 2026, one of 28 players returning from the title-winning group. Players not involved with the All Blacks report for pre-season on 26 November 2026, and the 2027 Super Rugby Pacific season opens on Friday 12 February 2027.

Career at a glance

Club and provincial figures are from Wikipedia, with his second-spell Hurricanes tries counted from Wikipedia's match lists. He has no All Blacks caps.