Damian McKenzie is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays as a first five-eighth (fly-half) or fullback for the All Blacks, the Chiefs in Super Rugby Pacific, and Waikato in the National Provincial Championship.
Born Damian Sinclair McKenzie on 20 April 1995 in Invercargill, he stands around 174–177 cm and weighs about 75–78 kg.
He attended Christ’s College in Christchurch and comes from a dairy-farming family. He is of Māori descent (Ngāti Tūwharetoa) through his mother.
Siblings
Damian’s older brother is Marty McKenzie, who is also a professional rugby union player.
The brothers grew up in a rugby-loving family and both developed their careers through New Zealand’s provincial rugby system.
Like Damian, Marty has represented Waikato and played for the Chiefs in Super Rugby.
Marty primarily plays as a first five-eighth (fly-half) or fullback and has also enjoyed professional stints overseas.
Also Read: George Bell Siblings: Getting to Know Henry Bell
Career
McKenzie made his provincial debut for Waikato in 2014 and joined the Chiefs in Super Rugby in 2015.
He has become the franchise’s all-time leading points scorer, with over 1,500 points across more than 150 appearances as of 2026.
He spent the 2022 season on sabbatical with Tokyo Sungoliath in Japan before returning to the Chiefs.
Known for his speed, elusive running, accurate goal-kicking, and trademark smile before place kicks, he has been a consistent high points scorer in Super Rugby, often topping the charts in individual seasons.
He debuted for the All Blacks in 2016 against Argentina at age 21 and has accumulated around 74–77 Test caps with roughly 360–380 points.
A knee injury in 2019 caused him to miss that year’s Rugby World Cup, but he returned and featured in the 2023 tournament squad (runners-up).
He has won multiple Rugby Championships and Bledisloe Cups with New Zealand.
In 2024 he started most Tests, finished as the leading Test points scorer that year, and earned selection in the World Rugby Dream Team.
He re-signed with New Zealand Rugby through to the end of 2029, turning down overseas interest to stay with the Chiefs and All Blacks.
Accolades
McKenzie became the Chiefs’ all-time leading points scorer, surpassing 1,500 points for the franchise.
He finished as the leading Test points scorer in 2024. He earned selection in the 2024 World Rugby Dream Team.
He was part of New Zealand’s squad that finished runners-up at the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
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