Kini Naholo: 40 tries in one school season, back from two ACL injuries to win Super Rugby

In 2017 Kini Naholo scored 40 tries in 20 games for Hastings Boys' High School. Since then he has torn the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee twice, the first time on his Super Rugby debut, and come back both times. On 13 June 2026 he scored his 27th try for the Hurricanes in the semi-final against the Blues, and a week later he came off the bench in their 60-5 final win over the Chiefs. This is the story of the wing from Sigatoka.

Sigatoka to Hastings

Naholo was born Kiniviliame Naholo in Sigatoka, Fiji, on 16 April 1999. He is the younger brother of Waisake Naholo, the wing who played 26 Tests for the All Blacks and scored 16 tries. Kini moved from Fiji to Hawke's Bay in 2016, he told 1News, and the hardest part at first was the language: he had spoken Fijian at home and was the only Fijian in his school team, which forced his English along.

At Hastings Boys' High School he made his name quickly. In 2017 he scored 40 tries in 20 games for the First XV, and the school won the national First XV title, 1News reported.

Taranaki

Hawke's Bay wanted to keep him, but in 2018 he moved to New Plymouth, where two of his older brothers, Waisake among them, were already based. "I just wanted to come over here because of family," he told 1News in June 2018, and he said Waisake had urged him to come for the environment. In club rugby he and his brother were "the two form wingers", according to Taranaki's academy manager David Ormrod. Taranaki Rugby's Pacific liaison, the father of his future Hurricanes captain Du'Plessis Kirifi, helped him settle.

His first tries for Taranaki came in Ranfurly Shield defences before the 2018 season proper: two in a 78-0 win over Poverty Bay at Tikorangi Domain on 28 July 2018, and one in a 33-10 win over Wanganui at the TSB Hub in Hāwera on 4 August 2018. He then played his first full season of Mitre 10 Cup rugby.

A debut, and the first knee injury

The Chiefs named him in their 2020 squad. Coach Warren Gatland put him on the bench, in jersey No 23, for their last match of Super Rugby Aotearoa, against the Hurricanes at Sky Stadium in Wellington on 8 August 2020. The Hurricanes won 31-18, and RNZ later reported that Naholo ruptured his ACL on that debut. It was the start of an unusual route: his first three Super Rugby games came for three different clubs in three different years.

He came back with Taranaki in 2021. He scored six tries, fourth on Wikipedia's 2021 try-scoring table, starting with two against Northland at Okara Park in Whangārei on 15 August 2021, a 48-14 win. Taranaki won the Championship division, and Naholo scored in the final against Otago at TET Stadium and Events Centre in Inglewood on 20 November 2021, a 32-19 win.

The Crusaders signed him for 2022, but he made only one appearance for them. Back in the NPC he scored six more tries for Taranaki in 2022, including two against Manawatū at Yarrow Stadium in New Plymouth on 16 September 2022, a 34-24 win.

Hurricane No 305

The Hurricanes named him in their 2023 squad, and he made an immediate impact. On 17 March 2023 he scored twice against the Waratahs at Sky Stadium in a 34-17 win, and by the end of the season he had nine Super Rugby tries, including two against the Blues at Eden Park in Auckland on 27 May 2023 and one in the second minute of the quarter-final against the Brumbies at GIO Stadium in Canberra on 10 June 2023, which the Brumbies won 37-33.

That October Taranaki won the NPC. Naholo started on the left wing in the final against Hawke's Bay at Yarrow Stadium on 21 October 2023, and Taranaki won 22-19 to become NPC champions.

The All Blacks XV

He scored four Super Rugby tries in 2024, the last of them in the 47-20 quarter-final win over the Rebels at Sky Stadium on 8 June 2024. For Taranaki he scored seven, including a hat-trick against Hawke's Bay at McLean Park in Napier on 20 September 2024, a 63-19 win.

That November he toured Europe with the All Blacks XV. He started on the left wing against Munster at Thomond Park in Limerick on 2 November 2024 and scored in the 75th minute of a 38-24 win, then started again against Georgia at GGL Stadium in Montpellier, France, on 10 November 2024, a 31-13 win.

2025: top of the try chart

In the opening rounds of 2025 the tries came quickly. RNZ reported that he led Super Rugby's try-scoring charts with eight tries across the first ten rounds and was being talked about as a possible All Black. They included a hat-trick against the Waratahs at Sky Stadium on 28 March 2025, a 57-12 win, and two against the Brumbies at GIO Stadium on 26 April 2025, where the Hurricanes won 35-29.

Then his knee went again: a second ACL rupture, surgery and eight months out. He had been planning a move overseas, but when the injury ended that he re-signed with the Hurricanes. "My mindset is pretty strong," he told RNZ in January 2026, adding that he was "happy to be back again with the club". Waisake, who had his own share of injuries, told him to listen to his body more.

Champions

Back from the knee injury in 2026, he found his scoring touch again in May. He scored twice against Moana Pasifika at North Harbour Stadium in Albany on 9 May 2026, a 50-17 win, once against the Blues at Eden Park on 16 May 2026 (47-24), and twice against the Highlanders at Hnry Stadium in Wellington on 23 May 2026 (45-28). In the semi-final against the Blues at Hnry Stadium on 13 June 2026 he scored in the 71st minute of a 57-21 win. ClubRugby.nz noted that it was his 27th try in his 38th game for the Hurricanes, and his sixth against the Blues.

In the final on 20 June 2026 he wore No 23 and came on in the 58th minute as the Hurricanes beat the Chiefs 60-5 for their first title since 2016.

He went straight back to Taranaki for the 2026 NPC and scored eight tries, the last two in a 50-31 quarter-final win over North Harbour at North Harbour Stadium on 10 October 2026.

Style and standing

The numbers sum up his game: 27 tries in 39 Hurricanes games and 34 for Taranaki. In January 2026, after the Hurricanes had finished fourth in 2025, he told RNZ he believed they could win the title. "I think hopefully we can do a little better," he said. Five months later they were champions.

Where he is now

The Hurricanes named Naholo in their 2027 squad on 28 October 2026, one of six outside backs with Josh Gray, Fehi Fineanganofo, Callum Harkin, Josh Moorby and Ngane Punivai. He has not played a Test.

Career at a glance

Hurricanes games and tries are ClubRugby.nz's count and agree with RUGBE's tally from Wikipedia's match records. Taranaki tries are RUGBE's tally from Wikipedia's season records, which agrees with Wikipedia's career points to May 2026; Taranaki games are Wikipedia's figure to May 2026.