A former All Black who admitted beating his son with a belt will keep his name secret to protect the identity of the victim, his son.
The man will be sentenced in the Auckland District Court tomorrow on a single charge of assaulting a child but appeared in court this afternoon seeking permanent name suppression.
In November he admitted twice belting his son across the legs and shoulders with the leather tongue section of his belt because he was at the "end of his tether" with the boy fighting with his sister.
Judge Pippa Sinclair today granted the boy name suppression and anything that could lead to his identification.
She said the suppression order was to protect the child - and not his father.