Former All Black, 2011 Rugby World Cup Winner & Broadcaster

Israel Dagg is one of New Zealand's most loved All Blacks of the last 15 years, a fearless fullback who scored 26 tries in 66 tests, won a Rugby World Cup at home, and now brings the same warmth, honesty and humour to breakfast radio, TV punditry and the corporate speaking stage.

Who is Israel Dagg?

Born in Marton and raised in Hastings, Israel Jamahl Akuhata Dagg (widely known as "Izzy") attended Lindisfarne College before making his All Blacks debut against Ireland in June 2010, aged 22. Of Māori (Ngāti Kahungunu) and Samoan descent, he played fullback and wing for the Highlanders, Crusaders and All Blacks until a chronic right-knee injury forced his retirement in April 2019, aged just 30. Now 38, he lives north of Christchurch and has become one of the most recognisable — and most candid — voices in New Zealand sport.

Career Highlights

• 66 tests for the All Blacks, 26 international tries (2010–2017)

• 2011 Rugby World Cup winner — five tries in five matches, and started at fullback in the final

• Back-to-back Super Rugby champion with the Crusaders (2017 and 2018)

• 112 Super Rugby games across the Highlanders and Crusaders

• Represented Hawke's Bay Magpies in NPC from 2006, the first secondary school student to play provincial rugby for the province

• One of the most-capped outside backs in All Blacks history

• Sky Sport NZ rugby commentator and analyst since 2020

• Co-host of Clubhouse Rescue with Stephen Donald, backing grassroots clubs around Aotearoa

Long-serving SENZ Breakfast host and one of New Zealand's most in-demand sports broadcasters

Key Speaking Themes

• Performing under pressure on the world's biggest stage

• Resilience, identity and life after elite sport

• Mental health, alcohol and the honest conversations men need to have

• Family, faith and grounding through tough seasons

• Team culture, friendship and the All Blacks environment

What Your Audience Will Gain

Israel speaks the way he plays — direct, generous and full of heart. Audiences get the inside stories of a World Cup-winning All Blacks side and a Crusaders dynasty, plus an unusually honest account of the harder side of professional sport.

In July 2026 he sat down with the Between Two Beers podcast and spoke publicly, for the first time in that kind of depth, about a five-year battle with alcohol and depression that followed his career-ending knee injury in 2019 — and the question that sat underneath all of it: if I'm not an All Black, who am I? It's the same honesty he brings to a room, and it's why he connects as strongly with a corporate audience or a community hall as he does with a rugby crowd.

Ideal For

• After-dinner events and gala nights

• Sponsor functions and corporate hospitality

• Rugby clubs, sports awards and Magpies events

• Leadership, culture and resilience keynotes

• Mental health, men's wellbeing and community events

Frequently Asked Questions about Israel Dagg

What does Israel Dagg speak about? Rugby, resilience, mental health and addiction, identity beyond sport, family and the realities of life after a top-level career.

What is Israel Dagg best known for? Being a 66-test All Black, his role in the 2011 Rugby World Cup-winning side, and his electric fullback play for the Crusaders.

Where is Israel Dagg from? He was born in Marton and grew up in Hastings, Hawke's Bay, attending Lindisfarne College. He is of Ngāti Kahungunu and Samoan descent.

How old is Israel Dagg? He was born on 6 June 1988 and is 38.

Why did Israel Dagg retire from rugby? A persistent and, in his words, unfixable right-knee injury that he could no longer play through pain-free. He announced his retirement in April 2019, aged 30.

What did Israel Dagg say on the Between Two Beers podcast? In July 2026 he opened up about a five-year struggle with alcohol and depression after his career-ending injury, and the loss of identity that came with leaving rugby behind. It is now a central part of what he speaks about publicly.

What does Israel Dagg do now? He commentates and analyses rugby for Sky Sport NZ, hosts breakfast radio on SENZ, works with the Crusaders, fronts TV projects including Clubhouse Rescue, and speaks at events across New Zealand.

Is Israel Dagg available for keynotes and after-dinner events? Yes. Israel is a popular MC, panel host and after-dinner speaker across NZ.