Ruben Love has sparked fan controversy after a divisive Instagram post.
The All Blacks and Hurricanes outhalf posted a picture to his Instagram story alongside his Canes Skipper Du’plesis Kirifi. Kirifi had been left out of the All Blacks squad by David Rennie a short while before the time of the Instagram story going live.
In the post, Love posed with Kirifi and the Super Rugby trophy, saying “The Truth #7”. A reference to Kirifi’s position on the field.
Why has Kirifi been left out of the squad?
Kirifi is an out-and-out number 7. This obviously causes problems as he would be in direct competition for the seven jersey with captain Ardie Savea. With Savea locked in, this would leave spots on the bench or the remainder of the back row and Rennie’s other selections in the back row offer versatility to other positions.
Kirifi played a role in 2025 when Savea was unavailable for selection as he was in Japan, but with a new regime and the flanker now at 29 years old, it seems like Rennie is either looking at the vastly experienced or younger options.
At under six feet, Kirifi also doesn’t offer a huge amount at lineout time, which may also have been a factor.
How have fans reacted to this post?
The fan reaction has been mixed, and while some don’t want to see any possible negativity with the posts, I think most fans can see the potential for a subtle prod at the All Blacks squad with the story.
Some felt that it gave off mixed signals and that likely there will be a conversation had between Rennie and Love. Rennie has already said that there is still space for Kirifi to be involved in later All Blacks squads.
Others found that it wasn’t a good look for a still relatively young All Black, with the original poster replying, “ Not a good look honestly”.
While there is probably little to think about the situation, it isn’t a good look for Love going into a new international window. Love has a real chance at securing the 10 jersey, but will need to impress Rennie in training camp over the coming week.
