Michael Hobbs (rugby union)

Last updated

Michael Hobbs
Birth nameMichael Joseph Deans Hobbs
Date of birth (1987-10-18) 18 October 1987 (age 36)
Place of birth Wellington, New Zealand
Height1.87 m (6 ft 1+1⁄2 in)
Weight92 kg (203 lb)
School Wellington College
University
Notable relative(s)
Rugby union career
Position(s) First five-eighth
Inside centre
Senior career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2007 Melbourne Rebels 8 (0)
2013 Panasonic Wild Knights 7 (5)
2014 – 2016 NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes ()
Correct as of 19 January 2015
Provincial / State sides
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2008, 2011 Wellington 18 (23)
2012 North Harbour 4 (2)
Correct as of 13 October 2012
Super Rugby
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2009, 2012 Blues 24 (28)
2010 Highlanders 7 (31)
Correct as of 25 July 2012

Michael Joseph Deans Hobbs (born 18 October 1987) is a retired professional rugby union player. Hobbs previously played for the Blues and Highlanders in the Super Rugby competition. He also played for the Wellington Lions in the Air New Zealand Cup. His playing positions are First Five-Eighth and Inside Centre.

Contents

Personal life

Hobbs was born in Wellington, New Zealand and was Head Boy at Wellington College in 2005. He is the son of former All Black Captain and NZ Rugby chairman Jock Hobbs and the nephew of former All Black fullback and Australian rugby union coach Robbie Deans. [1]

Career

Hobbs represented both New Zealand Schools and New Zealand Under-19s before moving to Brisbane, Australia to undertake study at the University of Queensland. He debuted for the Lions in the 2008 season after spending the two previous years contracted to the Queensland Reds Rugby Academy. He also had a stint with the Melbourne Rebels in the inaugural Australian Rugby Championship season. [2] He went on to be drafted by the Blues for the 2009 Super 14 season.

After starting the 2010 Super rugby season by scoring four tries in the first three games, Hobbs suffered a fractured vertebra in his back [3] and underwent spine surgery in Los Angeles. [4] He studied at the University of Texas at Austin on exchange while he completed his rehab. [5]

In 2011, Hobbs re-signed with the Blues and NZRU for two more years. [5] [6]

During the 2012 Super rugby season, Hobbs's father Jock died after a long battle with leukaemia. The 2012 ITM Cup saw Hobbs move north from Wellington to North Harbour. He played the first 3 matches before limping out of the Counties match early with ankle damage. Hobbs returned to the side for their final game against Tasman. At the end of the season he was granted an early release from his NZRU contract to take some time away from rugby.

In March 2013, Hobbs signed a one-year deal with the Panasonic Wild Knights in the Japan Top League. Panasonic won both the Japan Top League and Japan Cup championships in the 2013/14 season. At the completion of his contract with Panasonic, Hobbs signed with the NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes to remain in Japan for another two seasons.

After helping guide the NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes to their first ever win in the Japan Cup wildcard playoffs during the 2014/15 season, Hobbs was unable to take the field in the 2015/16 season due to undergoing shoulder surgery.

In 2016, Hobbs announced that he was taking a break from rugby to study for an MBA at Stanford University. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hurricanes (rugby union)</span> NZ rugby union club, based in Wellington

The Hurricanes is a New Zealand professional men's rugby union team based in Wellington that competes in Super Rugby. The Hurricanes were formed to represent the lower North Island, including the East Coast, Hawke's Bay, Horowhenua Kapiti, Manawatū, Poverty Bay, Wairarapa-Bush, Wanganui and Wellington unions. They currently play at Sky Stadium, having previously played at the now-defunct Athletic Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tana Umaga</span> New Zealand rugby player (born 1973)

Jonathan Ionatana Falefasa Umaga is a New Zealand former rugby union footballer and former captain of the national team, the All Blacks. He is head coach of Moana Pasifika in the Super Rugby competition.

Michael James Bowie Hobbs, generally known as Jock Hobbs, was a New Zealand rugby union player and administrator. A flanker, he played for Canterbury and won 21 caps for the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks, between 1983 and 1986, with four tests as captain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonny Bill Williams</span> New Zealand rugby player

Sonny William Williams is a New Zealand heavyweight boxer, and a former professional rugby league and rugby union player. He is only the second person to represent New Zealand in rugby union after first playing for the country in rugby league, and is one of only 43 players to have won the Rugby World Cup twice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ma'a Nonu</span> New Zealand rugby union player

Ma'a Allan Nonu is a professional rugby union player from New Zealand who currently plays for the San Diego Legion in Major League Rugby (MLR). He plays in the inside centre, but can also cover outside centre and wing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isaia Toeava</span> New Zealand rugby union player

Isaia "Ice" Toeava is a professional rugby union player from New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rodney So'oialo</span> Rugby player

Rodney So'oialo is a New Zealand rugby union player who recently played in Japan for the Honda Heat. He is now the director of rugby and head coach at Trinity College Kandy, Sri Lanka. Previously, he had been a stalwart for the Hurricanes in the Super Rugby competition, making 101 appearances for the franchise. He also made 62 test appearances for the All Blacks between 2002 and 2009. His usual position is at number eight.

Sosene Raymond Anesi is a former rugby union footballer who played as a fullback and wing and currently the head coach of Romania's current champions CS Dinamo București.

Paul Tito is a retired New Zealand rugby union player. He played in the lock position.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julian Savea</span> Rugby player

Sio Julian Savea is a New Zealand professional rugby union player. He currently plays wing for Moana Pasifika in Super Rugby. Savea formerly played for Toulon in the Top 14 and Hurricanes in the Super Rugby, and is a former captain of the Wellington Lions in the Mitre 10 Cup. Between 2012 and 2017, he won 54 caps for New Zealand.

Jeffery Latu Toomaga-Allen is a rugby union footballer who previously played as a tighthead prop for Samoa, and for Ulster in the United Rugby Championship. He also previously played for Wellington Lions in the ITM Cup and the Hurricanes in Super Rugby. Toomaga-Allen has also played for New Zealand's international rugby team, the All Blacks, three times during his career. Toomaga-Allen is currently signed with the Queensland Reds until the end of 2025.

Matthew Phillip Proctor is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays as a utility back for the Northampton Saints in the Premiership Rugby and for the Hurricanes in Super Rugby.

Ash Dixon is a New Zealand rugby union player, who currently plays as a hooker for Green Rockets Tokatsu in the Japan Rugby League One. He formerly played for the Highlanders in Super Rugby and for Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition. He has also played for the Hurricanes and Auckland.

Gareth Evans is a retired New Zealand rugby union player, who played as a loose forward for Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition and the Highlanders in Super Rugby.

Sam McNicol is a New Zealand rugby union player who played as an outside back for Wellington and Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic Mitre 10 Cup and the Hurricanes and Chiefs in the international Super Rugby competition.

Zarn Sullivan is a New Zealand rugby union player, who currently plays as a fullback or fly-half for the Blues in Super Rugby and for Auckland in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition.

Sosefo Losino 'Apikotoa is a rugby union player, who currently plays as a prop for Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition and for Anthem Rugby Carolina in Major League Rugby (MLR). He previously played for Moana Pasifika in Super Rugby. He was born and raised in New Zealand, but represents Tonga internationally, for which he is eligible due to his Tongan descent.

Tyrone Thompson is a New Zealand rugby union player, who currently plays as a hooker for Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition and the Chiefs in Super Rugby.

Lincoln McClutchie is a New Zealand rugby union player, who currently plays as a first five-eighth for Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition and San Diego Legion in Major League Rugby.

Tom Parsons is a New Zealand rugby union player, who currently plays as a lock for Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition and Urayasu D-Rocks in Japan Rugby League One.

References

  1. ↑ "Nearly 1000 bid final farewell to Jock Hobbs". Stuff.co.nz. 19 March 2012. Retrieved 16 December 2012.
  2. ↑ Melbourne Rebels photo [ permanent dead link ]
  3. ↑ "Hobbs faces yet another comeback – 3 Sport – Video". 3 News. Archived from the original on 30 September 2012. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
  4. ↑ Robson, Toby (20 September 2010). "Hobbs faces an ordeal he won't back away from". Stuff. New Zealand. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
  5. 1 2 "Hobbs eager to grab opportunities with Blues". Stuff.co.nz. 1 February 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
  6. ↑ "Blues announce squad for 2012". Stuff.co.nz. 2 November 2011. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
  7. ↑ "Slum spurs player to act". nzherald.co.nz. 17 April 2016. Retrieved 27 May 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.