Kayal Iro
Cook Islands international rugby league footballer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kayal Roy Iro (born 20 February 2000), also known as KL Iro,[4] is a Cook Islands international rugby league footballer who plays as a centre and winger for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the National Rugby League.
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Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Kayal Roy Iro[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 20 February 2000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 185 cm (6 ft 1 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 94 kg (14 st 11 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Centre | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: [1] As of 14 March 2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Education | Mount Albert Grammar School | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Father | Kevin Iro | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relatives | Tony Iro (uncle) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Background
Playing career
New Zealand Warriors
In 2019, Iro played for the New Zealand Warriors under 20s, before moving to the Newcastle Knights.[5]
Newcastle Knights
On 12 November 2019, Iro signed a one-year under 20s contract with the Newcastle Knights.[7]
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
In round 24 of the 2022 NRL season, Iro made his first grade debut for Cronulla in their 16-0 victory over Canterbury.[8][9]
Iro won the New South Wales Cup player of the year for the 2022 NSW Cup season while playing for the Newtown Jets, the reserve grade affiliate of the Sharks.[10][11]
On 25 July 2024, it was announced that Iro had re-signed with the Cronulla club on a two-year extension until the end of the 2026 season.[12] Iro played 23 games for Cronulla in the 2024 NRL season as the club finished 4th on the table and qualified for the finals. Iro played in all three of Cronulla's finals matches including their preliminary final loss against Penrith.[13]
2025
In round 2 of the 2025 NRL season, Iro scored two tries for Cronulla in their 36-12 victory over North Queensland.[14] On 9 September, Cronulla announced that Iro had extended his contract until the end of 2029.[15] Iro played 14 matches for Cronulla in the 2025 NRL season as the club finished 5th on the table.[16]
International
Iro represented the Cook Islands in the 2019 Rugby League World Cup 9s, scoring two tries in a 30–7 victory against Tonga.[17]
He made his full international début in the 66–6 win over South Africa on 21 June 2019 at fullback.[18]
Statistics
NRL
- *denotes season competing[1]
| Season | Team | Matches | T | G | GK % | F/G | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 |  Cronulla-Sutherland |
1 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 23 | 6 | 0 | — | 0 | 24 | |
| 2025 | 14 | 12 | 0 | — | 0 | 48 | |
| 2026 | |||||||
| Career totals | 38 | 18 | 0 | — | 0 | 72 | |
International
| Season | Team | Matches | T | G | GK % | F/G | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 |  Cook Islands |
2 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | Cook Islands |
4 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 4 |
| 2023 | Cook Islands |
2 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | Cook Islands |
2 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 4 |
| Career totals | 10 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 8 | |