Hurricanes bolster backline for 2026 Super Rugby Pacific after Josh Moorby’s surprise return

Wednesday, 13 August 2025

After cutting short his stint in France, Josh Moorby is returning to the Hurricanes next season.

Jordie Barrett won’t be the only handy backline operator returning to the Hurricanes for the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season, with Josh Moorby to be welcomed back into the ranks.

The Post reported on Wednesday that the 27-year-old fullback/winger had signed with the Wellington-based franchise for the next two seasons, after making a surprise recent return to New Zealand. The Hurricanes then confirmed his return on Wednesday night.

Moorby, who notched 38 caps for the Canes between 2022-2024, and proved a star performer in the last of those three campaigns, has cut short a stint in France to instead resume his career back on home soil, where he has rejoined Waikato in the NPC (albeit sitting out last weekend and this round with a niggle).

It all represents quite the 180-degree turn on plans, with Moorby having meant to be in the midst of an off-season, ahead of entering his second year of two with Top 14 club Montpellier, who had come calling with an offer (the only overseas team to) while he was in the last year of his Hurricanes contract in 2024.

It’s understood, though, that a mix of wanting to be back closer to family, and a feeling of having left too early, with the lure of an All Blacks jersey still strong, were what swayed him to get out of his French contract early.

Josh Moorby is back in the Waikato colours for this year’s NPC.

Shortly prior to his move, Moorby had told the Waikato Times just how agonising a decision it had been for him to opt to leave a Hurricanes environment he loved everything about, and take a punt on an overseas experience and some better coin, at a time he was playing the best rugby of his career.

“It’s definitely one of the hardest processes I’ve ever had to deal with so far as a rugby player,” he said last August.

“My partner’s [Shaylee] probably got sick of me, the amount of nights I lost sleep.

“A lot of people, I suppose, wonder why I’ve done it. But in my head I’m happy with the decision.”

The three-cap Māori All Black had admitted that before signing he had heavily-considered what his All Blacks chances might have been in the near future, looking at others in his position, and their age and stage, albeit believing he could still potentially make the grade if opting to return mid-2026, when he was turning 28.

Josh Moorby has represented the Māori All Blacks three times, and still hopes to crack the All Blacks in the near future.

“Obviously in myself I believe I can still do it if I come back,” he had said. “So there’s always that bit of drive left in me that there might be a little bit of something there, a bit of unturned rock.”

Instead, Moorby has given himself an extra year to try and slingshot himself into the frame for the 2027 World Cup.

While Will Jordan is clearly the All Blacks’ No 1 fullback, plus Damian McKenzie, Beauden Barrett and Ruben Love offer a whole heap of back-up options, the wing spots in Scott Robertson’s squad are far from settled, and perhaps that will be where Moorby eyes an opening, particularly with the departure of Mark Tele’a to Japan (though which is somewhat offset by the return from France of Leicester Fainga’anuku).

For Montpellier, who placed ninth in their 2024-25 season, most of Moorby’s action was at his natural home in the No 15, starting 10 of his 16 games there, along with one on each wing and four from the bench.

But in his last season for the Hurricanes, in what was Clark Laidlaw’s first season as coach, Moorby had proved a real asset on the right wing, with Love playing at fullback.

The Hurricanes’ 2026 backline won’t be boosted by just Jordie Barrett’s return, but also by Josh Moorby being back in the fold.

That combination could well be re-employed next season, depending on whether Love or Brett Cameron are used at first-five, or if Barrett, back from his sabbatical with Leinster, is even utilised in the No 15, too, which would open the way for Riley Higgins to stamp his mark at second-five.

While Daniel Sinkinson and Kade Banks are confirmed to be leaving the franchise, having played just three games between them this year, Laidlaw still has Harry Godfrey and Callum Harkin on the books as fullback options, too.

The wing make-up is set to be headlined by Kini Naholo, who is understood to have re-signed, amidst offshore interest. However, the Fijian flyer, who sits equal with Moorby on the Hurricanes’ tryscoring charts (21), could miss the start of the season, given he ruptured his ACL in May, while in the midst of some sensational form.

Ngane Punivai and Fehi Fineanganofo are other options who are confirmed to be returning, as is usual midfielder Bailyn Sullivan, while Tjay Clarke, who made his debut this year, could be another, if retained.

But having Moorby back in the mix will be a big boon.

“Josh is an extremely good professional,” Laidlaw told The Post. “His consistency around his preparation and performance was a real standout in 2024. His performance levels very rarely vary too much, he’s super reliable.

“He’s highly coachable around wanting to improve. His fend, his footwork, and his defensive game working alongside Cory Jane was a real testament to that.

“He’s got a lot of his own game in order where we can just add little bits. We don’t have to get him up to speed on how we roll as a team. He can come in and just express himself straight away. He’s got a true belonging to us already.”