A product of Auckland Grammar School, Rieko has rich family rugby history with his father Eddie Ioane representing Samoa along with his brother Akira Ioane who curently plays professionally. Their mother Sandra also played for the Black Ferns.
Representing the Blues U17 & U18 squads he followed in his brother's footsteps to sign with the Blues. After a short but impressive stint with the NZ 7's squad, Ioane focussed on the 15 man game and has played in the ITM Cup as well as being selected for the 2016 Blues Super Rugby Squad.
In August 2016, the Auckland centre received a call-up to the All Blacks squad for the second Bledisloe Cup Test against the Wallabies, replacing injured Ryan Crotty.
Ioane made his international debut and scored his debut try against Italy in 2016 at the age of 19.
During the 2017 Super Rugby season, Ioane settled on the wing after spending 2016 in centres. The switch saw him scored 10 tries in 14 Super Rugby appearances during the 2017 season.
Ioane starred during the British and Irish Lions scoring tries against the tourist for the Maori All Blacks and Blues.
Rieko's pace, strength and fine finishing ability saw him named in the All Blacks squad for the British and Irish Lions series having already won two caps and notching one try.
The speedster scored twice in his first start against the British and Irish Lions at Eden Park and claimed another double in his first Bledisloe Cup match in August.
With pace and strength to burn, Ioane finished the Rugby Championship as joint-top try-scorer with five after beating the most defenders, making the cleanest breaks and metres in the competition.
He shared the top try-scoring honour in the Rugby Championship after topping the charts for defenders beaten, clean breaks and metres made, and was awarded World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year at the 2017 World Rugby awards.
He scored 10 tries in 15 appearances for the Blues during the 2018 season. and signed a four-year deal through to the end of the 2022 season
The 2019 season began much the same for Rieko, scoring 9 tries in the season including a memorable 4 try performance against the Sunwolves. Ioane was one of 5 Blues players to be selected for the All Blacks 2019 Rugby World Cup squad.
At the commencement of the 2020 Super Rugby season, the towering Aucklander expressed the desire to gain more time in the outside centre role.
In 2021 Ioane helped the Blues win the Super Rugby Trans-Tasman competition. In 2021 he played 13 tests for the All Blacks and scored 5 tries.
In 2022, Ioane was a key part of the Blues squad that helped them reach the final of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific. Although they would go on to lose to the Crusaders at Eden Park.
On the 16th of April in 2023, New Zealand Rugby announced they had resigned Rieko Ioane until the end of the 2027.
Ahead of the Rugby World Cup 2023, Ioane has been named in the squad for New Zealand.
SC 21/07/2023
Career
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Auckland Left Wing |
2015 - present |
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Blues Left Wing |
2015 - present |
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New Zealand Outside Centre |
2016 - present |
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North Island Outside Centre |
2020 - present |
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New Zealand 7's Right Wing |
2015 - 2016 |
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Maori All Blacks Right Wing |
2015 - 2017 |
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Auckland Grammar School Left Wing |
