John Akurangi

John Francis Akurangi (born 24 April 1970) is a New Zealand former professional rugby union player.

Akurangi was born in Hastings and is an old boy of St Peter's College, Auckland.

A NZ Maori representative front-rower, Akurangi was in the Auckland Blues squad that won the inaugural Super 12 competition in 1996, before stints with the Crusaders and Chiefs. He played professional rugby overseas at Stade Français and SU Agen during the 1990s, then had a season with the Leicester Tigers in 1999–2000.

Akurangi received a fine in 2002 for cultivating and possessing cannabis, a conviction that cost him a $1 million contract to coach a Japanese club. He then lived in Sydney for several years and during this period had an acting cameo as a bouncer on Underbelly: The Golden Mile. After moving to Italy in 2010 to coach rugby, Akurangi suffered a heart attack and had a stent inserted, which caused further issues five years later when it tore an aorta near his heart. He underwent seven hour surgery in Milan and has subsequently recovered.