Hurricanes

Bio

Rugby World Cup winner Andrew Hore departed the Hurricanes at the end of the 2011 season to play for the Highlanders in 2012. Hore returned to his original home town Dunedin after playing 106 times for the Hurricanes in a 10-season career for the franchise.

Previously, 2008 proved a momentous year for hooker Andrew Hore, winning both the 2008 Rebel Sport Super 14 Player of the Year and the Kelvin R. Tremain Memorial Player of the Year awards at the Steinlager New Zealand rugby awards in December. This double accolade more than offset Hore’s disappointment at coming home early from the All Blacks end of year tour after injuring himself in the historic Test against Australia in Hong Kong.

Hore loves scoring tries. His 18 tries for the Hurricanes are easily the most scored by a Hurricanes forward - although he scored just twice in the 2009 and 2010 seasons. He hit the headlines in 2006 with a hat trick in the Hurricanes’ win over the Chiefs, the first ever by a hooker in a Super Rugby season.

In 2007 Hore reached the milestone of 50 appearances for the Hurricanes in round nine against the Bulls, having joined the Hurricanes in 2002 from the Crusaders whom he appeared for six times for in 2001. Injury disrupted his 2003 Super 12 season but he has been a mainstay ever since.

Hore had another outstanding season for the Hurricanes in 2009, leading from the front and earning re-selection in the All Blacks for the Iveco Tests against France and Italy in June. However, he was forced from the field with a rib injury early in the first Test against France.

He became Hurricanes captain in 2010, replacing Rodney So’oialo, leading from the front and playing every game of the season and ending 2010 with 91 Hurricanes caps and 97 overall.

He sustained a shoulder injury during the last game of the season against the Waratahs in Sydney, an untimely blow that ruled him out of the All Blacks for the winter Tests and provincial ITM Cup that followed, returning to the All Blacks for their 2010 end of year tour.

A central Otago farmer of rugged disposition, Hore joined Taranaki in 2001, transferring north from Otago where he had struggled for a break alongside Anton Oliver and Tom Willis and a third hooker, Eugene Morgan, who subsequently moved to Wellington. He played in every single game in his first season for Taranaki, ending the season as Taranaki’s highest forwards try scorer with five tries.

Following his first Hurricanes season and another strong showing for Taranaki, 2002 got even better for Hore when he made the All Blacks end of season tour to Europe, playing in the test matches against England at Twickenham and France in Paris. Missing out in 2003, he returned to play another 16 tests between 2004-2006.  Other representative teams that Hore made included: New Zealand U16 in 1994, New Zealand Secondary Schools in 1995,1996, New Zealand U21 in 1999, New Zealand Barbarians in 2002,2003 and the Junior All Blacks in 2005.

Hore’s brother Charlie played for the Highlanders and Otago in 2007 as a first five-eighth, and has also played for Canterbury and Borders in Scotland. The Hores’ aunt represented New Zealand in hockey.

Hore reached the milestone of 200 first-class appearances whilst playing for the Hurricanes in the 2009 Super 14 semi-final against the Chiefs in Hamilton.

Stats

Provincial Teams

Otago, Taranaki

Provincial Points

75

Provincial Caps

73

Provincial Debut

1998 v Southland (Otago)

Super Rugby Caps

106

Super Rugby Points

90

Super Rugby Debut

2001 v Chiefs (Crusaders)

Test Caps

60

Test Points

35

Test Debut

2001 v England

All Blacks Career

2002 – present, 25 tests, 15 test points (3 tries).

Appearances

91

Rugby facts