Josh Moorby (Ngāti Maniapoto) hasn’t followed the traditional pathway to the All Blacks, but his perseverance and belief has seen him reach his long-held goal after a record-breaking season with the Hurricanes that saw him score a Super Rugby all-time record 17 tries in 2026. A product of Te Awamutu, Moorby moved down to Southland in 2018 to play his first season of NPC rugby and earned a  call up to the Highlanders in 2021 as an injury replacement. However, it was with the Hurricanes where he began to flourish after joining the club in 2022. Selection for the Māori All Blacks followed as he moved shifted again, this time to Northland. Moorby finally represented his home province Waikato in 2024 before a stint in France with Montpellier in the French Top 14. Thankfully for Hurricanes fans, he cut his overseas stay short and returned to the Hurricanes in 2026 where his speed, instinct and ability to find the try line was a major factor in the club’s second Super Rugby title.