Daniel Kirkpatrick- What a Lad

Dan Kirkpatrick was an age grade superstar who was starting Super Rugby with the Hurricanes at just 20 years old. He’s a guy I always remember as being just a genuine good guy and he’s had a hell of a journey both on and off the field

In this episode of What a Lad, Dan opens up about becoming a father at just 19 and the challenges of balancing that with professional rugby, why he decided to leave New Zealand at 23 despite still having an All Blacks dream, and the serious injuries that eventually contributed to the end of his career.

Some parts that stood out for me were…

- What growing up looked like for him to be school boy star

- Becoming a dad at 19 while trying to establish himself in professional rugby

- what it was like at the Hurricanes as a young 10

- More about his decision to leave for France

- How he felt walking away from his All Blacks dream

- Winning the Top 14 with Castres as massive underdogs

- The concussion and neck injury that impacted the back end of his career

- His transition out of rugby and into business

- Building @hiit_crew_auckland and a new community after rugby.

And heaps more!

Dan’s another great example of how everyone’s journey is different and how important it is to enjoy the path you take and tackle whatever challenges come at you with a positive mindset. I really enjoyed this one and I’m sure you will too!

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