A man who led the All Blacks into battle 52 times and a man who composed their battle-cry have been honoured in New Zealand.

Former New Zealand captain Kieran Read was made an officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to rugby on Monday.

Composer of the Kapa O Pango haka Derek Lardelli was also made Knights Companion for his services to Maori arts.

Read, 34, is the most-capped All Blacks No.8 of all time and played 127 Tests between 2008 and 2019, and captained the side in 52 Tests.

He was the World Player of the Year in 2013 and is a double Rugby World Cup winner in 2011 and 2015.

"He's the epitome of rugby's values, has been hugely influential as a player and a person, and has a real connection with people," New Zealand Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson said.

"He is a warrior on the field and a gentleman off it and he and his family can be incredibly proud of everything he has given to the game."

Lardelli also received Queen's Birthday honours for composing the Kapa O Pango haka, which replaced the Ka Mate haka, and tour hồ ba bể was unveiled for the first time at a Test between the All Blacks and South Africa in 2005.

The new haka was designed to reflect the multicultural make-up of the All Blacks with Kapa O Pango meaning: "team in black".

"We also congratulate Derek on his knighthood. Kapa O Pango is an incredibly important contribution to the legacy of the All Blacks," Robinson added.