Harry Godfrey: NZ Rugby's 2023 Age Grade Player of the Year, back from an ACL with 84 NPC points

With five minutes left against the Fijian Drua in Napier on 22 February 2025, the Hurricanes were three points down. Riley Hohepa burst through the defence, found his first five in support, and Harry Godfrey scored the match-winning try in front of the Hawke's Bay crowd that watches him every winter, then converted it for a 38-34 win. He was 22, and the Hurricanes' starting No 10 because of an injury crisis. In December 2023 he had been named New Zealand Rugby's Age Grade Player of the Year. He has since come back from a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament to score 84 points in the 2026 NPC, level with Otago's Cam Millar as the competition's third-highest scorer, and signed with the Hurricanes until the end of 2028.

Hunterville and Whanganui

Godfrey was born in Hunterville, in the Rangitīkei, on 3 January 2003, according to the Hurricanes, and Wikipedia says he was raised there. He told Hawke's Bay Today in May 2021 that he had played rugby since he was five.

His representative rugby started in Whanganui. In September 2017 the Wanganui under-14 side went unbeaten through its first season in a new lower North Island competition, beating Horowhenua-Kapiti 79-7 in Whanganui on 2 September 2017 and Manawatū 24-21 in Bulls on 16 September 2017 on the way. The Whanganui Chronicle called their first five "a star turn". Coach Mike Lama, who said Godfrey had played for him since he was 11, described him as "a talented young player with a bright future".

Whanganui Collegiate

At Whanganui Collegiate School, Godfrey made the First XV. The 2019 side reached the final of the Central North Island competition, losing 26-14 to St Paul's Collegiate, according to the competition's records.

In 2020 he was captain. The Collegiate side reached the semi-finals in a season shortened by Covid-19, won the playoff for third against Feilding High School, and finished third at the 94th Quadrangular Tournament after beating Wellington College, the Whanganui Chronicle reported.

That October he was one of 50 schoolboys picked for a New Zealand Barbarians under-18 camp, which finished with a televised trial match at St Paul's Collegiate in Hamilton on 9 October 2020. Godfrey came on at half-time with his side leading 15-13, set up a try with consecutive cross kicks, scored one himself and kicked six conversions from six attempts as his team won 57-20, the Whanganui Chronicle reported. He was then named in the 2020 New Zealand Secondary Schools squad, a "paper" team that could not play because of the pandemic. "This is fantastic recognition for a group of players," NZ Rugby's talent identification manager PJ Williams said of that year's selections.

Hawke's Bay

Early in 2021 Godfrey moved to Hawke's Bay and joined the Central Hawke's Bay club in the premier competition. He was named in the Hurricanes under-20 squad that March and, in May 2021, became the only Hawke's Bay player in the New Zealand Under 20 squad of 30. "Pretty stoked," was his verdict to Hawke's Bay Today.

He made his debut for the Magpies in 2021 as an 18-year-old, the Hurricanes record. His first try for the province came in a Ranfurly Shield defence against Poverty Bay in Napier on 30 July 2022, a 95-22 win in which he also kicked 10 conversions for 25 points. His first NPC game followed on 17 August 2022 against Otago at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin, where he kicked eight points in an 18-13 loss.

In 2023 he scored a try in a 35-32 win over Waikato in Napier on 16 August 2023, and he was part of the Hawke's Bay squad that won the Ranfurly Shield from Wellington, 20-18 at Wellington Regional Stadium on 30 September 2023. In the shield defences before the 2024 NPC he kicked 10 conversions in an 80-5 win over Whanganui, the union he had played for as a boy, in Napier on 27 July 2024.

His most prolific NPC try-scoring night came on 5 October 2024 against Wellington at Sky Stadium in Wellington, where he scored twice in the first quarter of an hour and kicked four conversions from four, although Wellington won 46-28. In the quarter-final against Bay of Plenty at Tauranga Domain on 12 October 2024, he scored again, but Hawke's Bay lost 19-17.

The 2025 NPC brought 53 points in six games. His last game of that season was a 45-19 win over Wellington in Napier on 6 September 2025. In early October 2025, at a Hawke's Bay training session, he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament, Fijivillage and the Hurricanes reported. He needed surgery and was ruled out of the entire 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season.

By the winter of 2026 he was back, first in club rugby for Taradale's premier side, which went on to win its championship, and then in the NPC. On 2 August 2026, 330 days after his previous game, he started at No 10 against Wellington at Hnry Stadium in Wellington, kicked 12 points and helped set up two tries in a 52-33 win. On 8 August 2026 he kicked five conversions in a 50-19 win over Tasman in Napier and was voted the Magpies' fan MVP.

He scored 19 points, including a try, in a 44-31 win over Auckland at Eden Park in Auckland on 15 August 2026, and a try and five conversions from five in a 35-24 win over Otago in Napier on 4 September 2026. Hawke's Bay won their first six games, then lost their last four regular-season games, including a Ranfurly Shield challenge lost 12-7 to Counties Manukau at Navigation Homes Stadium in Pukekohe on 3 October 2026, and went out in the quarter-final, 50-14 to Otago in Dunedin on 10 October 2026. Godfrey finished with 84 points from 10 games (two tries, 34 conversions and two penalties), the joint third-highest total in the 2026 NPC.

New Zealand Under 20

The world and Oceania under-20 championships of 2021 were cancelled, so Godfrey's international tournament rugby began in 2022. He played two of New Zealand's three games as they won the Oceania Rugby Under 20 Championship on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, a campaign that ended with a record 69-12 win over Australia at Sunshine Coast Stadium on 10 July 2022.

In 2023 he played for New Zealand in the World Rugby U20 Championship in South Africa. He kicked a penalty in a 27-26 win over Wales at Paarl Gymnasium in Paarl on 24 June 2023 and four conversions in a 62-19 win over Japan, also in Paarl, on 4 July 2023, finishing the tournament with five games and 11 points.

In December 2023, ahead of Tasman's Macca Springer and Auckland's Angelica Mekeke-Vahai, he was named New Zealand Rugby Age Grade Player of the Year. The provincial.rugby report of the awards described him as an "Under 20s star".

The Hurricanes

Godfrey trained with the Hurricanes on a National Development Contract in 2022 and 2023. Darren Larsen, the club's under-20 development coach, explained why he spent three seasons in the Hurricanes under-20 side: "Harry was always operating a year younger in his age band."

His Super Rugby chance came early in 2023. After playing in both of the Hurricanes' pre-season games, he made his debut off the bench against the Queensland Reds at Queensland Country Bank Stadium in Townsville on 25 February 2023, a 47-13 win, becoming Hurricane number 303. He came off the bench again against the Rebels at AAMI Park in Melbourne on 3 March 2023, and made his first start, at fullback, in a 45-42 win over the Western Force at Central Energy Trust Arena in Palmerston North on 2 April 2023. "Harry's quick, he loves to attack, and he's got a good skillset," the Hurricanes said as they named the team.

On 3 April 2023 the Hurricanes signed him until the end of 2025. "We feel that he's ready," head coach Jason Holland said. Godfrey called it "a dream come true" for a player who had grown up in the region watching the team.

His first Super Rugby try came in a 54-28 win over the Rebels in Palmerston North on 22 March 2024. In October 2024 he extended his contract to the end of 2027, and Clark Laidlaw, by then head coach, called him "a quality player who's come up through the Hurricanes pathway".

With Brett Cameron, Ruben Love and new recruit Lucas Cashmore all injured, Godfrey started the 2025 season at first five. After a 33-25 loss to the Crusaders at Apollo Projects Stadium in Christchurch on 14 February 2025, the Hurricanes took their first home game of the season to Napier, where he scored that winning try against the Drua. On 1 March 2025 he scored 24 points against the Blues at Sky Stadium in Wellington, a try, two conversions and five penalties from five attempts, although the Blues won 33-29. He played five games and scored 55 points in 2025 before injury cut his season short.

He spent the 2026 Super Rugby season recovering while the Hurricanes won the title, beating the Chiefs 60-5 in the final at Hnry Stadium in Wellington on 20 June 2026.

Style and standing

The Hurricanes value his ability to play first five or fullback, and Laidlaw spoke in October 2024 of "the growth and maturity" he had shown for Hawke's Bay. When Godfrey re-signed in October 2026, Laidlaw said he had studied a great deal of footage while injured. "We feel he's one of the brightest talents we've got here," the coach said.

He has not played Test rugby for any country.

Looking to 2027

On 21 October 2026 the Hurricanes announced a one-year extension that keeps Godfrey at the club until 2028. "I'm really grateful to extend with the Hurricanes," he said. "Harry's done an amazing job to recover from his ACL injury," Laidlaw added.

On 28 October 2026 he was named in the Hurricanes' 2027 squad as one of three first fives, with Brett Cameron and Ruben Love. Players not with the All Blacks report for pre-season on 26 November 2026.

Career at a glance

Hawke's Bay all-games and Hurricanes figures are from the Hurricanes' announcement of 21 October 2026. NPC-only figures are RugbyPass's (2022 to 2026) and match Wikipedia's scoring records; the difference from the all-games count is his 2021 debut and Ranfurly Shield pre-season defences. New Zealand Under 20 figures are Wikipedia's.