Victor Vito

Position: No.8, Flanker
Hurricane: 155
Height: 192
Weight: 109
Date of birth: 27/03/1987
Birthplace: Wellington
Province: Wellington
Nickname: Vix
Career: 2009 -
Points: 30 (6 tries)

Bio

Victor Vito ended his fourth season for the Hurricanes in 2012, as one of the franchise’s most valuable players. Starting in 13 of 16 matches, his big defence, strong ball running and excellent lineout play were invaluable assets to the young side. By season’s end he was a regular part of the All Blacks set-up and had 19 Test caps under his belt by the end of 2012.

This followed on from a big 2011 for Vito in which he started every match for the Hurricanes at No. 8 and ended the year as part of the All Blacks’ winning Rugby World Cup squad.

Previously, Vito was selected for the All Blacks for the first time for the three-Test mid-year against Ireland and Wales in 2010. He played two of these Tests, making his debut in the 66-28 win over Ireland in New Plymouth. He played four of the Tri-Nations Tests that followed, although he missed out on the end of year tour to Europe.

With a reputation as a multi-skilled Sevens specialist, Victor Vito quickly developed into a dynamic loose forward, comfortable at either blindside flank or No. 8, and won Wellington Rugby’s 2009 Player of the Year award. Powerful and with speed to burn, Vito was also a standout player in the Hurricanes in 2010.

He played a starring role in the Wellington Sevens in February 2008, scoring two tries in the final against Samoa, including the match winner in the dying moments in the 22-17 win.

He joined the Hurricanes for the first time in 2009 as a Ranfurly Shield winner with the Vodafone Wellington Lions, having made his Air New Zealand Cup debut against Waikato in 2006 and earning six caps off the bench, but then spending most of 2007 sidelined with a shoulder injury.

Vito rebounded from an uncertain start in Super 14 in his first match against the Highlanders - coming in to the side for suspended captain Rodney So’oialo - with a series of eye-catching games, culminating in a powerful performance at the bookend of his rookie season against the Reds. This earned him selection in the New Zealand Juniors squad for the Pacific Nations Cup that followed.

Vito was marked early as a future rugby star. A product of Scots College in Wellington, he was picked for the Hurricanes Schools team of 2004. This team won the Regional tournament and his strong performances won him selection for the New Zealand Secondary Schools side. Vito also impressed at this higher level, including being awarded the Golden Boot; the award selected by the opposition coach in the schoolboys’ test against Australia. He joined an exclusive club when he won this award, Jerry Collins being the only other Wellington player in recent times to win it

On leaving school Vito joined the Wellington Rugby Academy and started a Law degree at Victoria University. He joined the Marist St Pats club in 2005 and captained the 2005 Wellington U19 team which won the Hurricanes U20 competition. The 2006 season began with Vito being selected, along with seven other Wellington players, in the New Zealand U19 team to compete in the IRB U19 World Cup in Dubai, which he also captained - also earning nomination for the 2006 IRB U19 Player of the Year.