Dalton Papali'i: a World Cup final in 2023, then a Super Rugby title with the Blues in 2024

On 28 October 2023 Dalton Papali'i came off the bench in a Rugby World Cup final, as the All Blacks lost 12-11 to South Africa at the Stade de France in Paris. Eight months later he started at openside flanker when the Blues beat the Chiefs 41-10 at Eden Park in Auckland on 22 June 2024 to win the Super Rugby Pacific title, ending a wait that Newshub put at 21 years. In between and around those two nights sit 37 Tests, a world Under 20 title, 100 games for the Blues, the Blues captaincy and the captaincy of the All Blacks XV. In 2026 the boy from Pakuranga headed to France.

Rugby league, then St Kentigern

Papali'i was born in Auckland on 11 October 1997 and raised in the city. His family's sport was rugby league, and he played league in his early years, Wikipedia records, before switching to union when he had the chance to go to Saint Kentigern College. The NZ Rugby Museum lists Pakuranga as his club, and Wikipedia, citing the NZ Herald, records that he became the first Pakuranga player to be an All Black.

At St Kentigern he captained the First XV. In 2015 he was named as one of four specialist loose forwards in the 26-man New Zealand Schools team, following school old boys such as Sam Nock and Blake Gibson, and the Museum's profile records that he led New Zealand Schools to a 32-3 win over Australian Schools that year. Wikipedia adds that he captained St Kentigern to the 2015 Grant Dalton Cup with a final win over Auckland Grammar. One of his coaches at St Kentigern was Tai Lavea, who would later bring him to Counties Manukau.

The Blues pathway and a world title

After school Papali'i joined the Auckland development programme. According to Wikipedia, which draws on the Blues' own profile, he played for the Blues Under 18s, captained the Blues Under 20s in 2016 and the Blues A side in 2017, and was the Blues' Development Player of the Year in both 2016 and 2017.

He went to two World Under 20 Championships with New Zealand. The first was in England in 2016. The second, in Georgia in 2017, brought a world title. He scored in the 42-20 pool win over Scotland at the AIA Arena in Kutaisi on 31 May 2017 and in the 39-26 semi-final win over France at the Mikheil Meskhi Stadium in Tbilisi on 13 June 2017. In the final against England at the same ground on 18 June 2017 he scored the opening try in the fourth minute, and New Zealand won 64-17. The side, captained by Luke Jacobson, also included future All Blacks Will Jordan, Caleb Clarke and Asafo Aumua. The rugby history site rugbyhistory.co.nz credits Papali'i with five tries in six games for the Under 20s that year.

Auckland and Counties Manukau

Papali'i made his senior debut for Auckland in 2017. In 2018, after a short first season of Super Rugby, he topped the Mitre 10 Cup tackle count late in the season, the Museum's write-up notes; Wikipedia puts his total at 169, the most in the competition.

In January 2020 he changed provinces, signing for Counties Manukau, where Steelers coach Tai Lavea, his old school coach, had persuaded him to make the move. He played for Counties in four NPC seasons between 2020 and 2025, according to rugbyhistory.co.nz.

The Blues

The Blues signed him in 2018 when the club was hit by an injury crisis, the Museum records, though a broken hand in a pre-season match delayed his start. He made his Super Rugby debut off the bench that season and played seven games, five of them as a starter.

On 5 February 2022, aged 24 and with 45 games behind him, he was named Blues captain, taking over from Patrick Tuipulotu, who was on sabbatical in Japan. Coach Leon MacDonald said: "His work ethic is second-to-none." Papali'i called it "a real honour and privilege". He brought up his 50th Blues game as captain against the Chiefs at FMG Stadium Waikato in Hamilton on 9 April 2022, and MacDonald described him that week as "a special player and fine young man". The Blues topped the 2022 regular-season table, but appendix surgery kept Papali'i out of the play-off run, and he returned off the bench in the final against the Crusaders at Eden Park on 18 June 2022, which the Crusaders won 21-7. He captained the Blues again in 2023.

Tuipulotu took back the captaincy for 2024, and Papali'i wore the No 7 jersey in the final at Eden Park on 22 June 2024. The Blues beat the Chiefs 41-10, a result Newshub described as the end of a 21-year title drought.

He was captain once more in 2026, with Tuipulotu recovering from a shoulder injury, leading the side out for the season opener against the Chiefs at Eden Park on 14 February 2026. His 100th game for the Blues came against the Brumbies at GIO Stadium in Canberra on 28 February 2026. He scored a try in the corner, made 19 tackles and won two turnovers, the Blues reported, though the Brumbies won 30-27 with a try in stoppage time. A jaw injury kept him out of the Blues' semi-final against the Hurricanes at Hnry Stadium in Wellington on 13 June 2026, Planet Rugby reported, and that ended his Blues career.

All Black number 1176

Papali'i's All Blacks call-up came in October 2018, after Sam Cane was injured and just weeks after his 21st birthday. He made his debut as the starting openside against Japan at the Ajinomoto Stadium in Tokyo on 3 November 2018, a 69-31 win, and three weeks later he replaced Ardie Savea in the 48th minute of the 66-3 win over Italy at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on 24 November 2018.

Chances were few at first. In 2019 his only Test was the last four minutes of the 16-16 draw with South Africa at Westpac Stadium in Wellington on 27 July 2019, and in 2020 he came off the bench in the 43-5 win over Australia at Stadium Australia in Sydney on 31 October 2020.

2021 was his breakthrough. On 3 July 2021 he started against Tonga at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland and scored his first two Test tries, one in the left corner after a Rieko Ioane and George Bridge move, the other under the posts from a Luke Jacobson offload, as the All Blacks won 102-0. He started all eight of his Tests that year at No 7, through the Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship and on to the northern tour, and scored in three more wins: 39-0 over Argentina at Robina Stadium on the Gold Coast on 12 September 2021, 104-14 over the United States at FedEx Field near Washington DC on 23 October 2021, and 54-16 over Wales at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on 30 October 2021.

He played 10 Tests in 2022. Before the second Test against Ireland at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin on 9 July 2022, when he started at blindside flanker, coach Ian Foster said: "Dalton's a tough rugby player. He's physical in the tackle and he's quick." On 19 November 2022 he scored in the 25-25 draw with England at Twickenham in London.

The 2023 World Cup

Papali'i went to France for the 2023 World Cup and played six of the All Blacks' seven matches. He started the opening match against France at the Stade de France on 8 September 2023, which France won 27-13, then scored in both of his next two starts: the 71-3 win over Namibia at the Stadium de Toulouse on 15 September 2023 and the 96-17 win over Italy at Groupama Stadium in Lyon on 29 September 2023.

In the knockout rounds he came off the bench three times, all at the Stade de France: in the 28-24 quarter-final win over Ireland on 14 October 2023, the 44-6 semi-final win over Argentina on 20 October 2023 and the final against South Africa.

Under Scott Robertson

When Scott Robertson took over the All Blacks in 2024, Papali'i started his first four Tests at openside: the 16-15 and 24-17 wins over England at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin on 6 July 2024 and at Eden Park on 13 July 2024, and the two Tests against Argentina, a 38-30 loss at Sky Stadium in Wellington on 10 August 2024 and a 42-10 win at Eden Park on 17 August 2024.

His 37th and most recent Test came off the bench in the 29-19 win over France at FMG Stadium Waikato in Hamilton on 19 July 2025, which completed a 3-0 series sweep. Later that year he captained the All Blacks XV on their European tour. "The experience and leadership of Dalton and our other senior players will be valuable," coach Jamie Joseph said. Papali'i led the side to a 33-19 win over the Barbarians, from 19-0 down, at the Gtech Community Stadium in Brentford on 1 November 2025, and to a 31-14 win over England A at the Recreation Ground in Bath on 8 November 2025, and the team finished the tour unbeaten.

Across his 37 Tests the All Blacks won 28, drew two and lost seven, and he scored eight tries.

Style and standing

Foster's "tough rugby player" line came in 2022, the same year MacDonald praised his work ethic, and in February 2026 Blues coach Vern Cotter told reporters: "He's captain material." Blues general manager of rugby Murray Williams said: "Dalton embodies everything it means to be a Blues man."

Papali'i has named the former Wallabies captain Michael Hooper as his favourite player, citing what Wikipedia, quoting him, calls Hooper's "relentless effort off the ball".

France

On 16 February 2026 the Blues announced that Papali'i would leave after the 2026 Super Rugby season to join Castres Olympique in France's Top 14. "This club means everything to me," he said, adding that the move suited his young family. Because New Zealand Rugby selects only home-based players, the move ruled him out of the 2027 World Cup, Reuters reported. Speaking about the switch, he listed several All Blacks who had played for Castres before him, among them Chris Masoe, Jack Goodhue and Gary Whetton, Planet Rugby reported.

His time in France began with a setback. Castres confirmed that he ruptured an Achilles tendon in pre-season training and had surgery on 15 July 2026, and that he would be out for at least six months.

Career at a glance

Test figures are from RUGBE's match-by-match All Blacks data. Under 20 and provincial figures are from rugbyhistory.co.nz and Wikipedia; Blues figures are from the Blues.