Harry Godfrey (born 3 January 2003) is a New Zealand rugby union player, who currently plays as a first five-eighth or fullback for Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition[1][2] and the Hurricanes in Super Rugby.

Harry Godfrey
Full nameHamish Godfrey
Date of birth (2003-01-03) 3 January 2003 (age 21)
Place of birthHunterville, New Zealand
Height175 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Weight85 kg (187 lb; 13 st 5 lb)
SchoolWhanganui Collegiate School
Rugby union career
Position(s) First five-eighth, Fullback
Current team Hawke's Bay, Hurricanes
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2021– Hawke's Bay 19 (100)
2023– Hurricanes 10 (5)
Correct as of 14 October 2024
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2021– New Zealand U20 9 (16)
Correct as of 16 July 2023

Early career

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Godfrey was born and raised in Hunterville in the Manawatū-Whanganui region in the lower half of New Zealand's North Island. He attended Whanganui Collegiate School[3] and played both rugby and cricket for the school. In 2019, he played for the school's 1st XV team that finished second in the Central North Island competition.[4] The following year, he captained the team to a third place in that competition.[5] He also played rugby sevens for his school, including at the 2020 Hurricanes Secondary School Sevens, of which he made the Tournament Team.[6]

Godfrey represented Whanganui at age grade level.[7][8]

After graduating high school, Godfrey headed to Hawke's Bay where he plays for the Central Hawke's Bay Rugby & Sports Club in the province's club rugby competition.[3]

After good performances for the Hawke's Bay Academy team in 2021,[9][10] Godfrey was named in the Hurricanes U20 squad for that year's Super Rugby Aotearoa Under-20 tournament.[11]

Senior career

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At only 18 years old, Godfrey was named in the Hawke's Bay squad for the 2021 Bunnings NPC season.[12] He made his debut for the province on 6 November 2021 in a non-competition game against Northland.[13] He scored his first try for the Magpies the following season, in their Ranfurly Shield defence against Poverty Bay on 30 July 2022.[14] His first NPC game followed on 17 August 2022 against Otago in Dunedin.[15]

Godfrey was one of a select group of young players, who earned a National Development Contract and trained with the Hurricanes ahead of, and during, the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season. On 25 March 2022, he was named in the Hurricanes U20 team for the 2022 Bunnings Warehouse Super Rugby U20 competition in Taupō.[16][17]

In 2023, Godfrey was again among the National Development Contracted players, who trained with the Hurricanes. He played in both the Hurricanes' preseason games ahead of the 2023 Super Rugby Pacific season.[18][19] Although he wasn't named in the initial Hurricanes squad for their 2023 campaign, he was on the team sheet for their round 1 game against the Reds[20] and made his Super Rugby debut for the franchise – via the bench – on 25 February 2023.[21] He made his starting debut for the Hurricanes on 2 April 2023 against the Force.[22]

Meanwhile, for the third consecutive year, Godfrey played for the Hurricanes U20 team in the Super Rugby U20 competition in Taupō.[23] Godfrey was one of the standout players of the tournament and received the Sir John Graham Player of the Tournament award.[24]

On 3 April 2023, the Hurricanes announced that the franchise had signed Godfrey until the end of 2025.[25] He scored his first try for the Hurricanes almost a year later, on 22 March 2024, against the Rebels.[26]

International career

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In 2020, after an outstanding 1st XV season, Godfrey was invited to attend a Barbarians Under 18 Development Camp, at the end of which he was named in the New Zealand Secondary Schools team. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this was only a paper team and it didn't play any games.[27][28]

A year later, Godfrey was for the first time named in the New Zealand Under 20 team.[29] However, due to the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, both the 2021 Oceania Rugby Under 20 Championship and World Rugby U20 Championship were cancelled.[30] Instead, the team played a series of four matches on home soil, including one international match against the Cook Islands national team.[31][32] The NZ Under 20s won that game 73 – 0 and Godfrey scored one of the tries.[33]

In 2022, Godfrey was again named in the New Zealand Under 20 team[34] and played in two of the three matches of the 2022 Oceania Rugby Under 20 Championship.[35][36] New Zealand won the tournament after winning all three games.[37]

Godfrey was for the third time named in the New Zealand Under 20 squad in 2023. He played one game in a two-test series against Australia[38] and competed at the 2023 World Rugby U20 Championship.[39]

References

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  1. ^ @hbmagpies (31 July 2024). "Squad 2024". Retrieved 1 August 2024 – via Instagram.
  2. ^ "2022 NPC Media Guide – Hawke's Bay". New Zealand Rugby. 2022. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  3. ^ a b "New Zealand U20s call up for Central Hawke's Bay's Harry Godfrey". Hawke's Bay Today. 14 May 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  4. ^ "First XV Rugby: Whanganui Collegiate kick off belated preseason with win". Whanganui Chronicle. 13 June 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  5. ^ "Harry Godfrey earns NZ Schoolboys jersey; Adam Lennox gets Baabaas". Whanganui Rugby Union. 21 October 2020. Archived from the original on 29 January 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  6. ^ "2020 Hurricanes Secondary School Sevens - Tournament Teams". Hurricanes Youth Rugby Council. 17 October 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  7. ^ "Wanganui U14s unbeaten". Whanganui Chronicle. 27 September 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  8. ^ "Congratulations to Joseph Abernethy, Harry Godfrey, Tim Haldane, Logan Henry, Henry Kilmister, Adam Lennox and Hunter Morrison who have been representing Wanganui Under 16 Rugby team at the Hurricanes' Tournament in the Wairarapa this week". Whanganui Collegiate School. 3 October 2018. Retrieved 29 July 2022. – via Facebook.
  9. ^ "Hawke's Bay's rugby academy side back in action". Hawke's Bay Today. 21 February 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  10. ^ "Hawke's Bay beat Wellington in Academy clash". Club Rugby. 6 March 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  11. ^ "Hurricanes squad named for Super Rugby Aotearoa Under-20 tournament". Hurricanes (Press release). 7 April 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  12. ^ "Magpies' team of homegrowns ready for NPC and Ranfurly Shield". Hawke's Bay Today. 27 July 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  13. ^ @hbmagpies (5 November 2021). "It's the last week of round robin of the Bunnings NPC! The Magpies are taking on Northland Rugby Union at 7.05pm, Saturday 6th November. We have 3 players debuting in tomorrows match: Harry Godfrey, Lolani Faleiva and Tiaki Fabish! Congratulations!". Retrieved 20 February 2023 – via Instagram.
  14. ^ "Hawke's Bay fend off Poverty Bay shield challenge". Hawke's Bay Today. 30 July 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  15. ^ "Hohneck ready for Magpies' maul". Otago Daily Times. 17 August 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  16. ^ "Hurricanes Under 20s squad named". Hurricanes (Press release). 25 March 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  17. ^ "Hurricanes U20 team named for Bunnings Warehouse Super Rugby U20s". Hurricanes (Press release). 18 May 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  18. ^ "Hurricanes named to take on the Blues in first pre-season clash". Hurricanes (Press release). 10 February 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  19. ^ "Hurricanes named to take on the Crusaders in Levin". Hurricanes (Press release). 16 February 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  20. ^ "Hurricanes name team for DHL Super Rugby Pacific season opener". Hurricanes (Press release). 23 February 2023. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  21. ^ "Match centre: Reds v Hurricanes". SANZAAR. 25 February 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  22. ^ "Hurricanes to take on the Western Force in Palmerston North on Sunday". Hurricanes (Press release). 30 March 2023. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  23. ^ "Hurricanes named for Bunnings Warehouse Super Rugby U20s in Taupō". Hurricanes (Press release). 16 March 2023. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  24. ^ "Blues win 2023 Bunnings Warehouse Super Rugby U20s title". allblacks.com. 27 March 2023. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  25. ^ "Hawke's Bay Harry Godfrey signs with the Hurricanes through 2025". Hurricanes (Press release). 3 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  26. ^ "Super Rugby Pacific: Hurricanes make light work of Rebels after relentless first half". stuff.co.nz. 22 March 2024. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  27. ^ "New Zealand Barbarian Under 18 squad announced". allblacks.com (Press release). 23 September 2020. Archived from the original on 19 February 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  28. ^ "Secondary schools players recognised in representative team naming". allblacks.com (Press release). 19 October 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  29. ^ "Black jersey beckons for under 20 talent". allblacks.com (Press release). 11 May 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  30. ^ "Statement on the World Rugby U20 Championship 2021". World Rugby (Press release). 3 February 2021. Archived from the original on 4 February 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  31. ^ "New Zealand Under 20 ready for home campaign". allblacks.com (Press release). 7 July 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  32. ^ "Wrampling to lead NZ Under 20 against the Cook Islands". allblacks.com (Press release). 16 July 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  33. ^ "Cook Islands dreaming big ahead of Tonga clash". Radio New Zealand. 21 July 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  34. ^ "New Zealand Under 20 squad named". allblacks.com (Press release). 14 June 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  35. ^ "New Zealand Under 20s eye second win in Oceania Championship". allblacks.com (Press release). 5 July 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  36. ^ "Silverware on the line for New Zealand Under 20s". allblacks.com (Press release). 10 July 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  37. ^ "New Zealand Under 20s crowned Oceania Rugby champions". allblacks.com (Press release). 10 July 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  38. ^ "New Zealand Under 20s named for game two against Junior Wallabies". allblacks.com (Press release). 2 June 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  39. ^ "New Zealand Under 20 squad named for the World Rugby U20 Championship". allblacks.com (Press release). 6 June 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
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