1
Hurricanes land All Blacks XV lock from Crusaders
By Ned Lester
The Hurricanes have landed a big fish in the form of 22-year-old lock Zach Gallagher, who will depart the Crusaders after three impressive seasons with the club.
The youngster's form saw him selected in the All Blacks XV at the ripe age of 21 in 2023, one of just two second rowers included in the team selected by former All Blacks boss Ian Foster.
At 197 cm and 117 kg, the Cantabrian adds significant bulk to an already physical Hurricanes pack, while fortifying the club's future stocks in the position.
“It’s pleasing to be able to add a player like Zach to our roster ahead of 2025. Our coaching staff have worked hard to build a culture where players want to come and be part of the Hurricanes,” Clark Laidlaw said.
“Zach has the attributes to become an outstanding rugby player and is someone which we have identified can add to the size and ability we already have in that area.”
A student at the University of Canterbury, Gallagher said he was excited to get out of his comfort zone and join a new environment in the capital.
“As a born and bred Cantabrian, I was honoured to represent the Crusaders. From speaking to the Hurricanes coaches, I was excited by the opportunity to be able to represent such a fantastic team," said the lock.
"They had an outstanding 2024 season and I am thrilled to be able to make the shift to Wellington and work with Bryn and Whoppa (Jamie Mackintosh) after the NPC campaign with Canterbury.”
This news comes just a day after the Hurricanes locked in All Black-in-waiting Peter Lakai on a new deal that will see him remain in yellow through to the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
Trending on RugbyPass
2
South Africa vs England player ratings | 2024 Autumn Nations Series
3
All Blacks player ratings vs France
4
Netherlands serve up Tier 2 shock as another World Cup side slayed
5
Latest Comments
The unfortunate reality is that Razor has set his stall on Mo'unga returning so is content to select DMac or Beauden during the interim.
Whether he'll have an open mind to take a punt on a rookie with potential to develop in time for 2027 remains to be seen.
To be honest, I was disappointed when NZRU chased Beauden after the world cup to re-sign to 2027. The time was right to move on and invest in the future.
Go to commentsUnfortunately I didn't have time to watch the game. Will check it out somewhere during the week. What Nick White did was very wrong then.
If it's true that Jack Crowley pretended, then it's wrong. It's time that players be reported and there must be consequences for such actions.
It's against the spirit of the game, and it was a big turning point in the game where the Irish scored 14 points effectively if I understand the article correctly. It should be labelled as a professional foul and should get a long ban and a huge fine.
Also, those points gained on the rankings should be taken off and added to the opposition team. That would stop such behaviour. No matter the team, it's disgusting to bring the sport into disrepute like that.
Go to comments