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Former Counties Manukau Steelers player and All Blacks Sevens legend DJ Forbes will be inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame at the World Rugby Awards in Monaco on November 24. 

Forbes, who played for the Steelers for a number of seasons, is one of two New Zealanders that will be added to the Hall of Fame.

A genuine sevens superstar, Forbes was the fulcrum of one of the most successful New Zealand sides for more than a decade. Having made his HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series debut in Wellington in February 2006, Forbes and his distinctive beard were a mainstay on the circuit until he hung up his playing boots in May 2017.

Along the way he appeared in 89 series tournaments – playing 512 matches on the circuit – scoring 153 tries and amassing a shedload of medals. In total, Forbes won 26 tournaments, six overall series titles, one Commonwealth Games gold medal in 2010, silver in 2014 and a Rugby World Cup Sevens title in 2013.

He was also named World Rugby Men’s Sevens Player of the Year in 2008, following a campaign in which he scored 26 tries and led New Zealand to six tournament victories en route to their eighth series title.

That Forbes achieved most of that as New Zealand captain, wearing the armband between 2006-15, receiving the New Zealand Sevens Player of the Year a record four times and accepting the NZRPA Kirk Award in 2017 for his outstanding contribution as a player advocate for the game, only adds to his legend.

Forbes gave up the captaincy in the build-up to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in order to concentrate on earning his place in the tournament squad. It was a feat he inevitably achieved, going on to appear in all six of his country’s matches as New Zealand finished the inaugural men’s Olympic sevens tournament in fifth place.

Forbes is the nephew of late Samoa great and World Rugby Hall of Fame inductee Peter Fatialofa, who captained the Pacific Island nation to the Rugby World Cup 1991 quarter-finals.