Born in Wanganui, Antonio Kiri Kiri attended the esteemed Palmerston North Boys’ High School, going on to represent the New Zealand Schoolboys before enrolling at Auckland University. By the age of 20, the impressive back rower had made his Mitre 10 Cup debut for the Manawatu Turbos, establishing himself as an impact player off the bench before earning a firm grip on the number six jersey. Rapidly quick off the mark and blessed with an innately balanced running style, he also enthralled onlookers as a ball-carrying No. 8 and disruptive opensider at the breakdown.

Renowned for his complete skillset, Kiri Kiri was called up to the New Zealand Sevens squad in 2015, enjoying four showpiece event appearances that culminated in a stunning touchdown against Scotland. It became clear that Antonio was destined for higher honours and he duly made his Super Rugby debut for the Blues in 2018. Seeking a fresh challenge, the Italian passport holder joined Yorkshire Carnegie, before moving to ambitious Championship rivals, the Cornish Pirates. Lending all his experience and pedigree to the proud region, Kiri Kiri enjoyed a stellar run of form on the side of the scrum in both the RFU Championship and Championship Cup before the unfortunate outbreak of Covid-19. Still in his twenties, Antonio is a back rower in the prime of his career.