Luke Gary Braid (born 5 October 1988) is a rugby union footballer who plays for the Blues in Super Rugby and Auckland in the ITM Cup. He plays as a loose forward. Braid has also played for three national rugby union teams, the New Zealand Schoolboys,[1] the New Zealand Under 19's,[2] and the New Zealand Under 20's[3] Braid is the son of former player Gary Braid and the younger brother of fellow Blues player Daniel Braid.
| Birth name | Luke Gary Braid | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 5 October 1988 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Tauranga, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 101 kg (15 st 13 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Tauranga Boys' College, Cranleigh School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable relative(s) | Daniel Braid (brother) Gary Braid (father) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Braid made his professional debut with Bay of Plenty in 2008. In 2010, he made his Chiefs debut against the Lions, with the Chiefs winning 65 – 72 away from home. The match set several new records for Super Rugby including the highest aggregate score in a single match (137 points), highest score by an away side (72) and the most tries scored in a Super Rugby match (18). Braid appeared 8 times during the 2010 season as the Chiefs finished in 10th place.
In 2011, he signed with the Blues, with whom he appeared in the 2011 Super Rugby semi-finals. In 2012, he captained the side in a number of matches whilst regular captain Keven Mealamu was injured.
In November 2014, it was Braid revealed that he would join French Top 14 side Template:Rut Bordeaux at the conclusion of the 2015 Super Rugby season.[4]
References
- ^ RugbyNet – Australian Schools Rugby Union. Austschools.rugbynet.com.au. Retrieved on 16 August 2011
- ^ Auckland-Under 19 Rugby World Champs arrive home. NZPA Images (24 April 2007). Retrieved on 16 August 2011
- ^ Steamers re-sign world champion Braid | infonews.co.nz New Zealand's local news community. Infonews.co.nz (21 November 2008). Retrieved on 16 August 2011.
- ^ "Braid - why I'm leaving Blues". The New Zealand Herald. 11 November 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2014.