When Fletcher Morgan represents the All Blacks Sevens, he wears quantity 97 on his again. It’s a tribute to his dairy farming dad and mom, Paul and Denise, who raised him in Frankton Highway, Waihi.
Exhausting work and perseverance have been values instilled within the affable, unpretentious 25-year-old from a younger age, and ultimately the “Waihi Whippet” who’s received three senior membership titles in three totally different cities, a Meads Cup, a Nationwide Underneath-19 title and the Ranfurly Defend has damaged via by incomes a long-sought-after nationwide call-up.
“I’m bloody stoked, overwhelmed truly to be representing such a prestigious crew,” Morgan advised RugbyPass.
“I’m not going to lie, there have been a couple of tears shed with my dad and mom and companion, Shenay. I’m going to attempt to be a sponge and take in as a lot data as I can from the older boys.
“We had an excellent pre-season. We dropped our first recreation towards Samoa however received the subsequent two. We didn’t lose towards Fiji and Australia, with the worst end result being a attract one in every of three video games towards Australia.
“There’s a good bit of dedication to do higher than final yr. Seventh isn’t a suitable end result for this crew. I feel we’ve obtained an excellent mixture of youth and expertise to vary that.”
The All Blacks Sevens confirmed that sentiment by successful the opening spherical of SVNS in Dubai. New Zealand hadn’t received a cup match since Might 2024 in Singapore. The All Blacks Sevens have been the one unbeaten crew in a wild match that noticed each the 2024/25 league and Grand ultimate winners Argentina and South Africa end exterior the highest 4.
En path to their eighth title in Dubai and first since 2018, the All Blacks Sevens beat Nice Britain (21-14), Spain (24-7), Australia (21-17), Fiji (24-21), and Australia (26-22). Morgan began within the win over Nice Britain and was used off the bench for the remainder of the match.
“In fifteens, I’m usually a winger, although I’ve performed loads midfield not too long ago which has been useful since you’re nearer to the ball and it requires totally different expertise than being on the sting,” Morgan stated.
“Within the All Blacks Sevens, I’m a prop. Pushing within the scrums and lifting within the lineouts has been fairly fascinating. I assume my function is to work onerous and if possibilities come up, take them.”
Morgan definitely took his possibilities within the NPC with Southland. On debut in a well-known comeback 29-22 win over Manawatu, he scored the successful strive with a chip and chase from midway.
“That was my first and solely contact,” Morgan laughed.
“It’s satisfying if you plan for one thing, and it comes off. We’d practised kicking into sure areas of area as a result of we’d studied the actions of their again three. Once I obtained the ball, a beneficial image introduced itself. Nonetheless, I didn’t fairly anticipate it to come back off the way in which it did.”
Issues solely obtained higher. Six days later, Southland beat Bay of Plenty for the primary time since 2016, after which on August 31, the Stags shocked Waikato 25-10 in Hamilton to assert the Ranfurly Defend for the primary time since 2011. Waikato, that includes 4 All Blacks—Anton Lienert-Brown, Luke Jacobson, Ollie Norris, and Samipeni Finau—have been humbled by the decided and medical guests, who achieved three NPC wins in a row for the primary time since 2013.
“It was superior to do it in Waikato towards a whole lot of my mates. I went to Hamilton Boys’. In 2017, we received the Tremendous 8. In 2024, I performed for Marist, and we received the Breweries Defend, all 15 video games, so I do know a whole lot of these boys,” Morgan enthused.
“It was a kind of uncommon video games the place we executed all the pieces and dominated.
“The celebration was wild. I anticipated a couple of folks to indicate up on the airport. The entire place was packed. The entire group wished a chunk of it. It was large. I’ve not skilled something prefer it, and I doubt I’ll once more.”
Earlier within the yr, Morgan had helped Woodlands win the Galbraith Defend. In a single recreation towards 2024 champions Star, he scored 4 tries and 36 factors. Within the ultimate towards Pirates Previous Boys, who Woodlands had beforehand misplaced to 31-12, Morgan scored a strive in a 40-30 win that marked a tenth Galbraith Defend victory for legendary 47-year-old hooker Jason “Cabbage” Rutledge.
Morgan thrived alongside Marty McKenzie, a Ranfurly Defend winner with Southland in 2011 and NPC champion with Taranaki in 2014, whose brother is All Black Damian McKenzie. Marty can also be associated to Grant, Gordon, and Brent McKenzie, in addition to Maori All Black Robbie Robinson, all of whom performed for Southland.
“Marty sees issues earlier than they occur. He ideas you off with a hand sign or a wink, and certain sufficient, they occur,” Morgan marvelled.
Morgan had been recognised by Southland after his exploits for Thames Valley within the 2024 Heartland Championship.
In serving to the Swapfoxes declare the Meads Cup, Morgan scored 116 of his crew’s 249 factors. Solely eight gamers have scored a century in a season. The others are Glen Dalgety (102 in 1984 & 111 in 1990), Chris Costello (101 in 1988), David McCullum (104 in 1995), Joe Reynolds (127 in 2011), David Harrison (102 in 2012), Todd Doolan (130 in 2021), and Quinn Collard (154 in 2025).
Morgan, a cousin of the All Blacks Gordon household, earned a scholarship to play rugby and research commerce and provide chain administration at Lincoln College after leaving Hamilton Boys’ in 2017.
In 2019, he was a part of the Canterbury Underneath-19 crew that received the final Jock Hobbs Memorial Event in Taupo. All Blacks prop Fletcher Newell received the Sir John Graham Medal because the participant of the match.
With Lincoln, he received a senior metro title in 2020, however Canterbury senior honours proved elusive.
“I beloved my time in Christchurch. Being there via the Crusaders’ dynasty and round a number of the Academy boys gave me an appreciation of their ardour for rugby and simply how onerous and good they labored,” Morgan stated.
Employment with Farm Supply in Cambridge took Morgan again north, the place his rugby was so good the South wouldn’t let the “Waihi Whippet” go once more. He has resigned with Southland for the 2026 NPC.
