SAM NOCK

Position
Halfback

Blues debut
2016 v Hurricanes

Blues caps
69 (SR 68)

Blues points
10

Born
18/06/96

Height
178cm

Weight
85kg

Nock is a proud product of the Northland Taniwha. He played three seasons for Saint Kentigern College, captaining them to both a national and World Schools crown in his senior year. The halfback was then selected for the New Zealand Secondary Schools team in 2014, playing in wins over Fiji and Australia.

Sam made his debut for Northland in 2015, playing in all 10 games for the Taniwha that season. In 2016 Sam was selected for the New Zealand Under 20s side where he was a standout.

He is a player with a fast, long pass and an excellent kicking game. His strong running game and vision make him a danger around the fringes of the ruck. A senior player with Northland, Sam Nock was named his home union’s Player of the Year after playing his 50th game for his childhood province.

Sam made his debut for the Blues as a replacement against the Hurricanes that same year and has gone on to be a regular in the team since, he even played in the win against the British and Irish Lions in 2017.

2020 was a watershed year for Sam, becoming a key contributor to the Blues success and helping to ignite a potent Blues backline. 2021 saw Nock enter into a season long battle with Finlay Christie and Jonathan Ruru, dueling for a place in the team each week.

Nock has appeared for the New Zealand Maori team on three occasions, most recently in 2021. In 2022 he was once again prominent in the Blues campaign and a leader for the Northland NPC side. Nock was once again a solid performer in 2023 for the Blues, backing up Finlay Christie for large parts of the season. When given the chance, the Northlander showcases his full array of skills and will no doubt be pushing both Christie and Funaki for the starting jersey in the 2024 Super Rugby season.