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Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 21 February 1999 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 181 cm (5 ft 11 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 98 kg (15 st 6 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Second-row, Lock | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: [1] As of 30 August 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kai O'Donnell (born 21 February 1999) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a second-row forward for the Leigh Leopards in the Betfred Super League .
Born in Brisbane, Queensland, O'Donnell played his junior rugby league for the Proserpine Brahmans and attended Proserpine State High School before being signed by the Gold Coast Titans. [2] While on the Gold Coast, he attended Palm Beach Currumbin State High School. [3]
In 2015, O'Donnell played for the Mackay Cutters Cyril Connell Cup side. [4] In 2017, he played for the Burleigh Bears Mal Meninga Cup side and moved up to their Hastings Deering Colts side in 2018. [5] Later in 2018, O'Donnell made his debut for the Bears' Queensland Cup side. [6]
In February 2019, O'Donnell came off the bench in the Gold Coast Titans pre-season trial loss to the North Queensland Cowboys. [7] In April 2019, he made a mid-season move to the Canberra Raiders, joining their Jersey Flegg Cup side and starting at second-row in their Grand Final loss to the South Sydney Rabbitohs. [8]
In February, O'Donnell was a member of the Raiders' NRL Nines squad. [9]
In round 9 of the 2020 NRL season, O'Donnell made his NRL debut for Canberra against the Melbourne Storm. [10]
In round 20, he scored his first try in the top grade during a 38-28 victory over Cronulla-Sutherland at Kogarah Oval. [11]
On 8 April, O'Donnell signed a contract to join RFL Championship side Leigh. [12]
In the 2023 Challenge Cup quarter-final, O'Donnell was sent off for a spear tackle in Leigh's 34-14 victory over York RLFC. [13] On 20 June, O'Donnell was given a six-game ban by the RFL over the incident. [14] O'Donnell played 22 games for Leigh in the 2023 Super League season as the club finished fifth on the table and qualified for the playoffs. [15]
He was highly praised by head coach Adrian Lam after scoring four tries in Leigh's 42-12 victory over Hull F.C. [16] O'Donnell played 27 games for Leigh in the 2024 Super League season which saw the club finish fifth on the table. [17]
O'Donnell played 18 games for North Queensland in the 2025 NRL season as the club finished 12th on the table. [18]
| Year | Team | Games | Tries | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 |  Canberra Raiders | 4 | 1 | 4 |
| 2023 |  Leigh Leopards | 43 | 16 | 64 |
| 2024 | ||||
| 2025 |  North Queensland Cowboys | 18 | ||
| 2026 | ||||
| Totals | 65 | 17 | 68 |