Kieran Foran (born 13 July 1990) is a New Zealand professional rugby league coach and former player. He is the current head coach of the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles in the National Rugby League, with whom he also won the 2011 NRL premiership. He primarily played as a five-eighth but also spent time at halfback. At international level, he represented New Zealand, with whom he won the 2014 Four Nations and 2023 Rugby League Pacific Cup, the latter while playing hooker.
Foran last played for the Gold Coast Titans, where he was acting captain in 2024. He also played for the Parramatta Eels, who he co-captained, the New Zealand Warriors, the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, and the NRL All Stars.
Foran was born in Auckland, New Zealand, and went to Ellerslie Primary School and played for the Ellerslie Eagles before his family moved to Australia. Foran attended St Ives North Primary School and then went on to attend Marist Catholic College North Shore, along with close friend and future Sydney Roosters player Mitchell Pearce. His father is Greg Foran, the former CEO of Walmart's US division and the former chief executive of Air New Zealand, current CEO of Kroger and his brother is former Manly Sea Eagles five eighth Liam Foran.
Foran played his junior football for the Ellerslie Eagles in the Auckland Rugby League and several Norths Juniors district clubs; the Asquith Magpies and the North Sydney Brothers. Foran is the younger brother of Liam Foran. In 2007, Foran represented the Australia Schoolboy rugby league team. Foran played in the North Sydney Bears Harold Matthews Cup and SG Ball teams before being signed by the Manly club. Foran played in the Sea Eagles NYC team in 2008 and 2009 playing 34 games, scoring 20 tries for 80 points in his U20s career from 2008 to 2009.
In early 2009, Foran was promoted to Manly's full-time squad and toured England with their World Club Challenge team. Foran became Sea Eagle number 526 when he made his first grade debut in round 15 against the Canberra Raiders, starting at five-eighth and scoring a try in Manly's 20–14 win at Brookvale Oval. On 6 August 2009, Foran was named in the 45-man New Zealand national rugby league team training squad for the 2009 Rugby League Four Nations. On 26 August, Foran publicly declared that he would represent New Zealand, making himself ineligible for Australia and New South Wales. Foran finished his debut year in the NRL with him playing in 9 matches and scoring 6 tries for Manly-Warringah in the 2009 NRL season. On 2 September 2009, Foran was named on the interchange bench in the 2009 NYC team of the year. On 7 November 2009, Foran become Kiwi number 757 when he made his test debut, playing in the centres in New Zealand's 12–20 loss to England at Alfred McAlpine Stadium. This was Foran's only match in the 2009 Four Nations tournament.
Following Matt Orford's departure before the start of the 2010 Season, Foran started at halfback in Manly's round 1 22–26 loss to the Wests Tigers at ANZ Stadium. The following week, he played at five-eighth in Manly's 20–24 loss to Parramatta.
After a strong start to the season, Foran was rewarded with selection as halfback for New Zealand in the 2010 Anzac Test, which was played at Melbourne's new AAMI Park. Despite the 8–12 loss, Foran produced a strong performance and was heavily considered as New Zealand's halfback for the 2010 Four Nations. However, Foran picked up a shoulder injury near the end of the NRL season which required him to have surgery and ruled him out for the entire tournament. During the season, Foran played in 23 matches and scored 4 tries for the Manly club.
Following the early rounds of the 2011 NRL season, Foran was rewarded with selection at halfback inside of Benji Marshall at five-eighth for the annual Anzac test match against Australia at the Gold Coast's Cbus Super Stadium. In the game, he set up the final try of the game to team-mate Lance Hohaia, however Australia won the game 20–10. Heading into round 17 of the season, Foran was trailing North Queensland Cowboys captain Johnathan Thurston by six votes when voting for the Dally M Medal went behind closed doors. But soon after, Thurston suffered a knee injury in the third State of Origin game and during his absence Foran produced some man-of-the-match awards to seemingly catch up. Foran was suspended following his role in the brawl against Melbourne in round 25 in Manly's 18–4 win at Brookvale Oval, ruling him ineligible for that year's medal.
After Foran's one match suspension, he helped taking Manly to the 2011 NRL grand final. On 2 October 2011, Foran played five-eighth in the Sea Eagles' 24–10 win over the New Zealand Warriors in the grand final in front of 81,988 at the ANZ Stadium in Sydney. Kieran was unlucky not to be among Manly's try scorers on the day after he knocked on while scoring a try. Foran finished the Sea Eagles successful season with him playing in 26 matches and scoring 8 tries. After the 2011 grand final victory, Foran was selected in the New Zealand Kiwis' squad for the trans-Tasman test game against Australia and the 2011 Four Nations tournament. Team-mate, halves-partner, and Kiwis captain, Benji Marshall, also tipped Foran to be a key figure for the Kiwis' Four Nations campaign. Foran featured in the trans-Tasman test against Australia in the Kiwis 42–6 loss, and every game of the Kiwis' regular Four Nations tournament rounds, where the Kiwis were knocked out of the tournament by England in the final round losing 28–6 at KC Stadium.
Foran travelled to England with the Manly club for the 2012 World Club Challenge match against 2011 Super League Champions Leeds Rhinos, Foran played at five-eighth in the 26–12 loss at Headingley Stadium.
Early in the 2012 NRL season, following the departure of Manly's 2008 and 2011 premiership-winning coach Des Hasler to the Canterbury Bulldogs, Foran activated a get-out clause in his current Manly contract and was offered a three-year deal by the Canterbury club worth $650,000 per season.
However, on 29 April 2012, Foran re-signed with Manly until the end of 2015, ending speculations about his future. For his part, Foran admitted after re-signing with Manly that he had dinner with Hasler and his family to personally inform his old coach and mentor of his decision to stay with the reigning NRL premiers. Foran was ruled-out of the Kiwis' 2012 Anzac Test game clash against Australia, due to a hamstring injury.
During week 2 of the 2012 NRL Finals Series in which Manly played the North Queensland Cowboys, Foran was involved in a try scored by Michael Oldfield. After a Daly Cherry-Evans bomb in the 62nd minute, some, including Cowboys five-eighth and captain Johnathan Thurston, claimed that Foran had knocked the ball forward, which ultimately led to a try being awarded by video referees Steve Clark and Paul Simpkins as 'benefit of the doubt'. Thurston was later quoted as telling referee Shayne Hayne that, "(the Cowboys) had been robbed twice," the first time being the 52nd minute try to Jorge Taufua. During the whole ordeal, Foran maintained that he had not made contact with the ball during Manly's 22–12 win.
Foran finished the season with him playing in 21 matches and scoring 4 tries for Manly.
On 13 October 2012, Foran was selected to play halfback for the Kiwis against the Australian Kangaroos in the post-season trans-Tasman test in which the Kiwis lost 18–10 at 1300SMILES Stadium.
On 13 February 2013, Foran was chosen to play for the NRL All Stars team off the interchange bench in the 6–32 loss to the Indigenous All Stars at Suncorp Stadium.
In round 1, Foran started the 2013 NRL season with a man-of-the-match strong performance in Manly's 22–14 win over the Brisbane Broncos at Suncorp Stadium. Foran then continued his great form by producing a number of strong performances and great plays, leading-up to the 2013 Anzac Test game. On 19 April 2013, Foran was selected to play five-eighth for New Zealand in the 2013 Anzac Test against Australia at Canberra Stadium.