New Zealand at the Rugby World Cup: Trio from Taranaki: The Barrett brothers Beauden, Scott and Jordie (from left) stand as a family block in the Rugby World Cup final in our detailed view
A witty saying at the end of a career turned into a prophecy – and the siblings from a dairy cow farm in New Zealand made it to the World Cup final: the story of the Barrett family tells of great sport and great character.
Nobody really knows whether Kevin Barrett, who everyone in New Zealand calls “Smiley”, really said his famous sentence like that. However, the story that can be told based on this short statement is too good to be questioned by detailed research, which is why the legend persists: after his 167th and final appearance for the Taranaki Rugby Football Union, Barrett was asked on the pitch in 1999 what he was going to do with all his free time?
“I’m going to breed some All Blacks,” was the short, traditional answer that day, which became a prophecy in the years that followed: Kevin Barrett and his wife Robyn have eight children, including five sons, all of whom have played or are playing in New Zealand’s top league – and three have actually made it to the All Blacks.
Beauden, Scott and Jordie Barrett will represent New Zealand’s national pride, the All Blacks rugby team, in the World Cup final in Paris on Saturday night, so with three out of 15 players, 20 per cent of a potential World Cup title could go to one family. And anyone who suspects this is a coincidence is mistaken: Dad Kevin obviously meant his famous statement at the time much more seriously than you might have thought at first.
The family farm in Opunake, a village on the west coast of New Zealand’s North Island, is home to around 200 dairy cows. Taranaki is a harsh region for the otherwise mild North Island, the climate is characterised by the open sea and the majestic Mount Taranaki, a 2518 metre high volcano, in whose shadow not too much vegetation remained after an eruption in 1854, which is why wind and weather produce good grazing land for dairy cattle – and good conditions for raising rugby players.
“We didn’t have a Playstation here, everything took place outside,” father Barrett once said years ago when a TV crew visited him on his farm. Kevin Barrett’s deep New Zealand accent is not for the untrained ear, but his philosophy can be summarised in a few words: Let the children play!
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Pastures and playing fields for the children: that was the Barretts’ farm
Three plots on the farm belonged to the cows, one was reserved for the eight Barretts and numerous neighbouring children who wanted to compete every day in cricket, rugby, football or any other sport. “It usually ended in tears,” Jordie, the youngest brother at 26, once said about the experiences in his parents’ backyard. Sometimes, however, the matches ended with a final kick, where everything was at stake: “Then we’d all jokingly shout: ‘That’s the kick for the World Cup title!”, Scott, 29, the middle brother, once said. It became a reality in 2015.
Jordie and Scott still had to be patient back then. The focus was on their older brother Beauden, now 32, who came onto the field in the World Cup final against Australia with a quarter of an hour to go and scored the decisive try with a sensational run one minute before the end. The third World Cup title in the country’s history was the start of an impressive career for Beauden Barrett: twice voted the best player in the world in subsequent years, it was his skills that kept the All Blacks at the highest level after the departure of superstars such as Richie McCaw and Dan Carter.
Eight years later, the roles have changed a little. Beauden still finds himself in a central role at the World Cup in France – but you could actually make a case that he has gone from being the best player in the world to the third best in his own family. Scott Barrett’s physicality is a crucial component of the All Blacks. But above all, Jordie Barrett’s move to a more central position has been a major contributor to the New Zealanders’ pre-tournament performance, which had been heavily criticised.
Part of the story of the Barrett brothers is that their careers have not yet been crowned with overwhelming success. The trio reached a World Cup semi-final together once before in 2019, but the All Blacks lost heavily to England and came in for a lot of criticism afterwards. Given Beauden’s age and his impending move to Japan, Saturday could be the final chance to win the big title together, something the three were aware of even before their departure. The weeks in France were therefore “special times”, said Jordie before the final.
France’s highly talented rugby team led by Antoine Dupont narrowly missed out on the semi-finals of the World Cup at home. The Bleus strategist returned to the team just a few weeks after breaking his cheekbone and jaw.
However, sporting success is not everything in the Barrett family, where not everything centres on the three brothers who have made it to the top of world rugby. Firstly, there is the story of Kane Barrett, one year older than Beauden, who was recognised as having at least as much talent as his brothers – but who had to end his career before it had really begun in 2014 after suffering a head injury.
And then there’s Zara, who everyone in the family affectionately calls “Zaz”. The youngest sister was born with Down’s syndrome, a genetic disorder. The Barretts publicised her fate a few years ago to raise awareness of the difficulties people with Down’s syndrome face when learning a language. “People like Zara need to know that they are loved and feel included,” said Beauden Barrett in an interview, which is why the family’s focus is often not on rugby, but on Zara.
So Kevin “Smiley” Barrett has indeed succeeded in breeding three All Blacks, as he promised in 1999. At least as remarkable is the character he has created within his family and the reputation the family enjoys within New Zealand – regardless of a possible World Cup title.
