John Francis Akurangi (born 24 April 1970) is a New Zealand former professional rugby union player.^[1]

Akurangi was born in Hastings and is an old boy of St Peter's College, Auckland.^[2]

A NZ Maori representative front-rower, Akurangi was in the Auckland Blues squad the won the inaugural Super 12 competition in 1996, before stints with the Crusaders and Chiefs.^[3] He played professional rugby overseas at Stade Français and SU Agen during the 1990s, then had a season with the Leicester Tigers in 1999–00.^[4]

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.^[5] He then lived in Sydney for several years and during this period had an acting cameo as a bouncer on Underbelly: The Golden Mile.^[6] 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.^[7]