The saying goes that good things come to those who wait. First-five Riley Hohepa is done waiting. At 29, the Pukekohe native has landed a fresh contract with the Hurricanes, a contract he’s worked bloody hard for.  

Unlike many of his teammates, Hohepa’s rugby rise wasn’t marked by academies or development programmes. Instead, it was his genuine love for the game, combined with natural talent, that led to several representative selections throughout his school years.

“Since I can remember, I’ve had a ball in my hand,” said Hohepa, “I played a bit of cricket competitively at school as well, but rugby’s always felt like my true love.”

Hohepa understands more than most the difficulty of breaking into the professional environment, particularly for those who haven’t gone through the traditional rugby pathways.

“It’s fair to say it’s been a long road to landing my first Super Rugby contract. It hasn’t always been easy, and there have been doubts, but I’ve always been driven by the need to prove to myself that if you chase after something you love, anything’s possible.”

“My wife has kept me grounded throughout this whole journey; she’s been my rock when I started to get really intentional about my future in rugby. The birth of my daughter changed a lot of things as well, I want to be the best example for her.”

With that elusive, inaugural NPC contract evading him, Hohepa left school and went straight into the construction industry.

“I’ve worked in civil earth moving for about 10 years now, and I still get back on site in between seasons. It’s a good shock to the system getting back into the real world, but it helps bring me back down to earth, and I’m more disciplined because of it.

At 24, Hohepa was finally handed the keys to the number 10 jersey for Counties-Manukau, and more than 40 caps later he hasn’t looked back. This paved the way for his Super Rugby debut, running out for the Hurricanes as injury cover in 2023.

“I feel like I’m only just getting started. I’ve had a taste of the Super Rugby environment, first at the Canes, then the Chiefs and Crusaders, but I know I haven’t reached my full potential yet.”

Hurricanes Head Coach, Clark Laidlaw, agrees:

“Riley’s got some of his best years ahead of him. He fits into our game model and the mindset we want our players to have going into 2025. He’s filled with gratitude about being in this environment because he’s worked bloody hard, and he’s got a genuine passion for the game. We’ve said it already, we want players coming in here who have game experience, maturity and are ready to play Super Rugby.”

“I wouldn’t change it for the world,” Hohepa reflects on his journey, “I’ve had to learn how to be disciplined, and believe in myself through all the tough times. If I could go back in time and talk to my younger self, I’d tell him to enjoy the process, ask questions, fail a lot and then learn from it. Most importantly, connect with people and train hard. One day, it will all pay off.”