AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND – SEPTEMBER 06: Beauden Barrett of New Zealand celebrates after winning The Rugby Championship match between the New Zealand All Blacks and South Africa Springboks at Eden Park on September 06, 2025 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)
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At 34 years old, Beauden Barrett has achieved almost everything in rugby. The blond-haired speedster from Taranaki is only the second player in rugby union history to win back-to-back World Player of the Year awards. He is a Rugby World Cup winner, having scored the winning try in the All Blacks’ 2015 win over Australia, and this Saturday, he is expected to play his 142nd match for his country.
Since debuting in the All Blacks’ record 60-0 win against Ireland in 2012, Barrett’s name has become synonymous with success at the highest echelons of the sport. His performances and level-headed personality have earned him ambassadorial roles with Swiss watchmaker Tudor and Chicago-based insurance firm Gallagher, lucrative contracts in Japan, and the respect of the rugby public.
Ahead of the All Blacks’ game against Ireland in Chicago, Barrett spoke to me about his career, the areas of his game he continues to work on, and what motivates him after thirteen seasons in black.
Hailing from a family dairy farm in Taranaki, on the southwest coast of New Zealand’s North Island, Barrett says he never thought he would play professional rugby. It simply seemed a dream too big to comprehend at the time.
Regardless, Barrett fell in love with the game, and his passing, running, and kicking skills developed naturally over the years, as he played in the backyard alongside his seven siblings, including current All Blacks’ captain and vice captain Scott and Jordie.
Barrett drew inspiration from his father, Kevin, as well as All Black greats Tana Umaga, Christian Cullen, and Andrew Mehrtens, developing a style based around vision, creativity, and speed — even if the latter did not come naturally early on.
“As a schoolboy, playing, I was never really a standout in terms of speed. I didn’t score great running tries,” Barrett told me the week before the All Blacks’ game in Chicago. In fact, the All Blacks’ number ten says his running game remains an area he would like to improve. While he still has electric pace, he says, “I feel like I could find that spark a little more often. I know it’s there, it’s just being able to unlock it. It’s about allowing myself to free up a bit, rather than being tied to a structure.”
After finishing school in Taranaki, Barrett played rugby sevens and began to make a name for himself in New Zealand. It was at that point that current New Zealand Rugby CEO and friend of the family, Mark Robinson, also noted Beauden’s talent.
Robinson, who played club rugby alongside Beauden’s father Kevin, met Beauden and his siblings at a young age. He recalls them constantly playing pickup rugby on the farm and at the local rugby club. Despite their evident skills, he says, physically, “Jordie, Scott and Beauden were all quite late developers.” Something no rugby viewer would guess today, looking at the six-foot-four, six-foot-six, and six-foot-one trio of brothers.
Robinson recalls coaches at the Taranaki Rugby Club being adamant that Beauden was “something pretty special.”
After a few years and a ramped-up weightlifting program, Barrett transformed himself from what he describes as “a skinny white boy” to an electric player capable of playing flyhalf or fullback for his province and later Super Rugby, before finally debuting for the All Blacks.
Former All Black and Hurricanes teammate Dane Coles reckoned with Barrett’s newfound pace and power the first time they met on the training field. “Everyone was talking about this fast, skinny kid from the ‘Naki, and then he came in for a wider training group at the end of the season,” recalls Coles. “I remember, I was actually training on the other team, and I might have given [him] two meters, but I usually back my pace against the backs. And he honestly just took off, and I was on the ground.”
Despite being left in the dust by Barrett during their first meeting, the two developed a “pretty special relationship” during the over 100 games they shared at club and international level.
While Barrett’s physical and technical talents were evident, it was his calm under pressure that really stood out in the All Blacks’ pressure cooker. “The biggest thing about Beaudy was always the way he was so grounded,” Coles says. “I think that’s what’s made him such a durable and special player. He can separate the two identities, being an All Black and just being a normal kid from Taranaki.”
It is the normal kid from Taranaki who still impresses business executives and fans to this day. Approachable, articulate, and affable, Barrett is exactly the role model athletes are expected to be. As Chris Mead, Global Chief Marketing Officer of Gallagher, says, “I feel like Beauden could be sitting in the office next to me. He just fits with us,” which is why the insurance firm insisted he become their All Blacks ambassador. Perhaps a future in business beckons for Barrett, but make no mistake, there is grit behind the constant smile he sports.
In the grind of professional sport, the most minute details can make the difference between winning and losing, and for the All Blacks, losing is simply not an option. “The legacy and history are super important for those who are lucky enough to be in this squad,” Barrett says. And so, on the days when motivation is lacking, consistent habits and a deep connection to the community help Barrett maintain his elite performance levels.
Barrett prides himself on having a strong work ethic, and Robinson says it’s Beauden’s “dedication to his craft” that has enhanced his vision and incredible physical attributes. The small farm boy has evolved into one of rugby’s best players, capable of distributing and scoring with ease, while playing smart and suffocating defense. He is like rugby’s Larry Bird, only without the trash talk.
Beauden Barrett is a success on and off the field. The Tudor ambassador is level-headed under pressure and easily approachable despite his stardom.
Courtesy of Tudor
In recent years, Barrett has relished becoming one of the team’s senior players. Although looking at the All Blacks’ one hundred-plus-year tradition of winning over 80% of their matches can be daunting, by the time he wears the jersey for the last time, the current All Blacks number ten is looking to leave the best legacy possible.
Playing alongside his brothers, having a positive influence on his fellow players and the people in the All Blacks’ environment, and inspiring the next generation of rugby players are what motivate Barrett to continue battling through each eighty-minute match.
Barrett says, “Part of being an All Black is being a pioneer and being innovative, and being the best team in the world.” He is particularly keen on playing a variety of attacking rugby, which inspires kids to pick up a ball, just as the likes of Christian Cullen did for him.
In the coming weeks, Barrett will move within two test match appearances of the legendary Richie McCaw — rugby’s greatest ever player. If he stays fit and continues to perform, he could become the All Blacks’ leading appearance maker by the time the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia rolls around.
Barrett isn’t ruling out a potential future in the U.S. either. He’s heard good things from childhood friend and 2023 MLR Player of the Year Jayson Potroz. “Never say never,” he says, “I’d just absolutely love to live in the States.”
For now, he will need to focus on helping the All Blacks find victory in the first match of their end-of-year tour. Despite all of his accolades, Barrett has never won a Grand Slam — victory over England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland in the same season. Saturday will be a chance to reverse the defeat the All Blacks suffered to Ireland in 2016 and create additional history for the team in black.