Kaylum Boshier: captain of New Zealand at a cricket World Cup, then of Taranaki's NPC champions

In January 2018 Kaylum Boshier led New Zealand out at a Cricket World Cup. Less than six years later he lifted the NPC trophy as captain of Taranaki. In between he chose rugby over cricket and followed his older brother into the Chiefs. He is 27, has 49 games for the Chiefs, has worn the black jersey of the All Blacks XV, and is in the Chiefs' squad again for 2027.

New Plymouth and two sports

Boshier was born in New Plymouth on 9 April 1999 and went to New Plymouth Boys' High School, like his brother Lachlan, four years older, who captained the school's First XV and went on to play 64 Super Rugby games for the Chiefs, according to Wikipedia. Kaylum played No 8 for the New Zealand Barbarians Schools side, the ICC recorded, and signed with the Taranaki rugby academy.

He was just as good with bat and ball. A fast bowler and top-order batter, he captained Central Districts at the national Under 19 tournament, and on the strength of that New Zealand Cricket named him captain of its squad for the 2018 Under 19 Cricket World Cup, held in New Zealand from 13 January to 3 February 2018. His team included Finn Allen and Rachin Ravindra, both later Black Caps. "I took this year back from rugby and just followed my cricket," he told the ICC before the tournament, adding: "I've always enjoyed captaining."

Asked whether he could become a double international like Jeff Wilson, he said that "somewhere along the line I will have to make a decision".

Choosing rugby

Rugby won. On 28 July 2018, six months after the World Cup, he played his first game for Taranaki in a pre-season Ranfurly Shield defence against Poverty Bay at Tikorangi Domain, and scored a second-half try in a 78-0 win in front of 3,500 people. He told reporters later that he was not fully committed to rugby until 2019.

That year he played six games for the New Zealand Under 20 side and scored one try, Wikipedia records.

The 2020 Mitre 10 Cup was his breakthrough. The Chiefs later described it as an outstanding individual season. On 27 September 2020, in Taranaki's first defence of the Ranfurly Shield they had just won from Canterbury, both Boshier brothers scored tries against Otago at TET Stadium in Inglewood, though Otago won 30-19 and took the Shield. Kaylum scored again against Hawke's Bay at the same ground on 15 November 2020.

Following Lachlan to the Chiefs

On 3 December 2020 the Chiefs named him in their 2021 squad, alongside his brother. The Chiefs had always been his goal, he said, because of Lachlan, and that summer he gave up club cricket in Taranaki to do a full pre-season.

His Super Rugby debut came off the bench against the Crusaders at Orangetheory Stadium in Christchurch on 13 March 2021, with Lachlan out injured. The Crusaders won 39-17. He impressed early, the club said, but a season-ending injury in 2021 also kept him out of that year's NPC. He returned for the 2022 Super Rugby season and scored in a 30-29 win over the Hurricanes at Sky Stadium in Wellington on 3 April 2022.

Captain of Taranaki

Boshier was named Taranaki captain for the 2023 NPC, and he led from the front. He scored two tries against Counties Manukau at Yarrow Stadium in New Plymouth on 4 August 2023 and two more against Northland at Okara Park in Whangārei five days later.

On 21 October 2023 Taranaki hosted Hawke's Bay, then holders of the Ranfurly Shield, in the final at Yarrow Stadium. Boshier started at No 8, and his charges at the line helped set up a try for Daniel Rona in the 11th minute, NZ Rugby's provincial report recorded. Taranaki led 22-19 after Adam Lennox scored early in the second half and held on, sealing the win with a scrum penalty. Boshier played 74 minutes and then lifted the trophy in front of about 13,000 people. It was Taranaki's first NPC title since 2014.

He kept the captaincy in 2024 and 2025, when Taranaki finished second and fifth on the table, and the union named him captain again for 2026, the year the competition marked 50 years. That year he scored two tries in a 40-26 win over Canterbury at Stadium Taranaki on 29 August 2026 and another in the semi-final against Canterbury at One NZ Stadium in Christchurch on 18 October 2026, which Canterbury won 38-28.

By RUGBE's count from Wikipedia's season records, he has scored 16 NPC tries for Taranaki, plus the one in that first Shield game in 2018.

Tries and finals with the Chiefs

Boshier has scored regularly for the Chiefs too. He scored four Super Rugby tries in 2024, including two against the Fijian Drua at FMG Stadium Waikato in Hamilton on 16 March 2024, and three in 2025, including two against the Highlanders at the same ground on 19 April 2025. His count from Wikipedia's match records is at least ten, the most recent against the Highlanders at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin on 21 February 2026, a 26-23 win.

He has played in two Super Rugby finals. On 21 June 2025 he came off the bench in the 16-12 loss to the Crusaders at Apollo Projects Stadium in Christchurch, and on 20 June 2026 he came on in the 63rd minute of the final against the Hurricanes at Hnry Stadium in Wellington, which the Hurricanes won 60-5.

The All Blacks XV

In October 2025 Jamie Joseph named Boshier in the All Blacks XV squad for a tour to Europe, along with his Chiefs and Taranaki team-mate Daniel Rona. He started at blindside flanker against the Barbarians at Brentford Community Stadium in London on 1 November 2025, a 33-19 win, and came off the bench against Uruguay at Stade Raoul-Barrière in Béziers, France, on 16 November 2025, a 45-21 win. He has not played a Test.

Style and standing

Boshier has played No 8, flanker and lock. The ICC's 2018 profile described him as a captain who liked to be aggressive and named Brendon McCullum, another New Zealander who had to choose between cricket and rugby, as his model. Taranaki have made him captain four years running, and the union's 2026 squad announcement said he, Bradley Slater and Logan Crowley "set the standard".

Where he is now

Boshier was named in the Chiefs' 2027 squad on 28 October 2026 under head coach Jono Gibbes, on 49 Chiefs games. His next appearance will be his 50th. The 2027 Super Rugby Pacific season opens on Friday 12 February 2027.

Career at a glance

Chiefs games are the club's count in its 2027 squad announcement. Try counts are RUGBE's tally from Wikipedia's season and match records; Wikipedia's own career summary gives lower figures.