Fletcher Newell: the Rangiora tighthead who played every All Blacks Test of 2025

When the All Blacks pack down for their first scrum at Murrayfield this weekend, the man at tighthead will be a 26-year-old from North Canterbury who made his school's First XV while still an under-15. Fletcher Newell has 43 Tests, a World Cup semi-final, two winning Super Rugby finals and, in 2025, a place in every one of the All Blacks' 13 Tests. This is the story of the prop from Rangiora.

Leithfield, Ashley and Rangiora High

Newell was born in Rangiora on 1 March 2000 and grew up in North Canterbury; 1News described his family's home town as the small settlement of Leithfield. His rugby began at the Ashley Rugby Club, which, its president Murray Goodwin told 1News in 2022, was proud to have its first official All Black. Goodwin remembered "quite a shy boy and quiet" who simply got on with it. "Whatever he's done he's gone 150%," he said.

At Rangiora High School, a state co-educational school, Newell made the First XV while still young enough for the under-15 grade. "He was in the first 15 when he was under 15," the school's rugby patron Julia Malcolm told 1News, adding that he had been marked out as one to watch at the South Island Under 15 tournament. He captained the First XV in his final year, according to the Crusaders. Malcolm also recalled the annual team photo: while his team-mates struck playful poses for the fun shot, Newell stuck to the classic serious rugby pose.

He is, by 1News's count, the seventh All Black from the Rangiora area, following men such as Todd Blackadder, Ian MacRae and Graeme Higginson.

Lincoln, the academy and the Under 20s

Newell joined the Crusaders Academy in 2018 while studying at Lincoln University, where he has played his club rugby. The Crusaders say he was working towards a Bachelor of Commerce; in 2022 the All Blacks website described his studies as land and property management.

In 2019 he helped Canterbury's Under 19 side win the Graham Mourie Cup, beating Auckland in the final, and went to the World Rugby Under 20 Championship in Argentina with New Zealand. At the end of that year he was named New Zealand Rugby's Age Grade Player of the Year.

The NZ Rugby Museum's profile records that Scott Robertson, then the Crusaders' head coach, highlighted his strength and commitment, including a record-breaking 255kg squat.

Canterbury and the Crusaders

Newell's first game for Canterbury came in 2020, off the bench in a Ranfurly Shield defence against North Otago. He spent one season in the NPC before the Crusaders gave him a contract. He became Crusader No 248 when he made his Super Rugby debut on 28 February 2021, and in 2022 he played in every game of the Crusaders' season, which the club says earned him his first All Blacks call. That season ended with a title: he came off the bench in the 52nd minute of the final at Eden Park as the Crusaders beat the Blues 21-7.

In July 2025 he re-signed with the Crusaders and New Zealand Rugby until 2028. "I just love this team, and I wouldn't want to be with anyone else," he said, recalling that he had come to Crusaders games as a "wee one". A month earlier he had started at tighthead in the 2025 final, when the Crusaders beat the Chiefs 16-12 in Christchurch.

The call and Ellis Park

Newell was not in the original All Blacks squad for the 2022 Rugby Championship. On 26 July 2022, with Ofa Tu'ungafasi ruled out by a neck injury from the third Test against Ireland, he was called in. He missed the first phone call from team manager Darren Shand, he told allblacks.com, but replied to the follow-up text faster than he had ever replied to anything. "It was pretty surreal," he said. His first call was to his father, who was "stoked" and told him he was proud.

Less than three weeks later, on 13 August 2022, he made his Test debut off the bench against the Springboks at Ellis Park in Johannesburg, and the All Blacks won 35-23. His father had flown to South Africa for it. Afterwards he was allowed onto the field for a photo with his son and the trophy, and the All Blacks staff gave him one of the match balls, 1News reported. Back home, he had put up a banner in Leithfield.

Newell played six Tests that season, all off the bench, including wins in Cardiff and at Murrayfield. He credited the All Blacks forwards coach Jason Ryan, who had also coached him at the Crusaders. "He's been a massive contributor to my growth," Newell said.

A toe, then a World Cup

The 2023 season started badly. Newell started the Crusaders' opening game against the Chiefs, was hurt in the first half and was found to have a plantar plate injury at the base of his big toe. He had surgery and missed the rest of the Super Rugby season, with his World Cup place in doubt.

He made it. He was back for the Bledisloe Cup Test in Dunedin in August, a 23-20 win, and went to France for the World Cup. He played five of the All Blacks' seven matches there, all off the bench: the opening loss to France, Namibia, Uruguay, the 28-24 quarter-final win over Ireland and the 44-6 semi-final win over Argentina. Against Uruguay in Lyon on 5 October 2023 he scored his first Test try in a 73-0 win. He was not in the 23 for the final, which South Africa won 12-11.

First starts

Robertson, now All Blacks coach, kept Newell in his squad for 2024. His first Test start came on 20 July 2024 (New Zealand time) against Fiji in San Diego, a 47-5 win. A calf injury in Cape Town in September kept him out of the Bledisloe Cup Test in Sydney, but he still played nine Tests that year.

In 2025 he became a fixture. The All Blacks played 13 Tests and Newell played in all of them, one of only four players to do so, along with Will Jordan, Samisoni Taukei'aho and Damian McKenzie. Nine of those were starts at tighthead. He started both wins over France in Dunedin and Wellington, both Tests in Argentina, the 24-17 win over South Africa at Eden Park, the win over Australia in Perth and, on the northern tour, the wins over Ireland in Chicago and Scotland at Murrayfield, and the loss to England at Twickenham.

Before the Argentina Tests he spoke about the set piece. "We can't give them an inch because they'll take a mile," he told allblacks.com. In Buenos Aires on 23 August 2025 he scored his second Test try, though Argentina won 29-23.

The Rennie era

Dave Rennie's first Test as All Blacks coach was against France on 4 July 2026 at One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch, his Crusaders home, and Newell started it at tighthead. The All Blacks won 34-32. He came off the bench against Ireland and in all three Tests in South Africa, played in the 54-0 tour win over the Sharks in Durban, then started the last three Tests before the northern tour: Baltimore, the 50-19 Bledisloe win at Eden Park and the 43-21 win in Sydney.

Style and standing

Newell stands 186cm and weighs 121kg, according to the Museum, which describes him as a powerful scrummager with an exceptional work rate. The Crusaders call him "one of their most powerful players". NZR's general manager of professional rugby, Chris Lendrum, said in 2025 that "Fletcher is a young man with a bright future".

Of his 43 Tests, 14 have been starts and 29 have come off the bench in the No 18 jersey. The All Blacks have won 31 of them.

Where he is now

Newell starts at tighthead against Scotland at Murrayfield on Sunday morning NZ time (Saturday 7 November in Edinburgh), packing down with Ethan de Groot and captain Codie Taylor. Wales in Cardiff and England at Twickenham follow, then the Nations Championship finals weekend in London. He is contracted to the Crusaders and New Zealand Rugby until the end of 2028.

Career at a glance

Test figures are from RUGBE's match-by-match All Blacks data to 17 October 2026.