Mark Hammett

Christchurch born and educated, hooker Mark Hammett came to prominence early, playing for New Zealand Under 17 in 1989, captaining the Under 19 team in 1991 and appearing for New Zealand Colts in 1992-93. He made one appearance as a replacement for Canterbury in 1992 and showed promise in the seven games he played the following season.

Though he made 6 appearances for Canterbury during the 1994 domestic season most were as a replacement, with the very competent Matt Sexton preferred. However the hooking duties were shared between the two during Canterbury’s end of season nine match tour of England and Wales. The positions were reversed in 1995, with Hammett starting in 11 matches and Sexton in five. Hammett also played for a Canterbury XV against a N Z Supporters Clubs selection.

With rugby turning professional in 1996 Mark Hammett was a member of the 1^stCrusaders Super 12 side, though the performance of the 1996 team, two wins in eleven games, gave no indication of the success the franchise was to enjoy later. By and large though Sexton continued to receive more game time, both for the Crusaders and Canterbury. In 1997 it was Hammett used more than Sexton, but it was the latter who started the last three matches of both the Super 12 and NPC. Canterbury beat Counties Manukau in the 1997 NPC final, with Hammett coming on as a substitute.

With Sexton off the scene for most of the 1998 season Hammett started regularly for both the Crusaders and Canterbury. He was rewarded with a New Zealand trial, captaining his team, and an appearance for New Zealand A against Tonga. With injury curtailing the season for long time All Black backup hooker Norm Hewitt, Mark Hammett was then called into the All Black squad for five matches but did not take the field at any stage.

After a full Super 12 season for the Crusaders, who won the competition for the second successive year, Hammett made his All Black debut as a substitute against New Zealand A in 1999. With Anton Oliver now the first choice hooker he made two other appearances off the bench during the Tri-Nations, then won selection in the World Cup squad. Here he started a test for the first time, against Italy, and did so again in the third/fourth playoff match against South Africa.

Except for 2001 when injury limited him to just one appearance Hammett remained an All Black squad member until his retirement at the end of the 2003 season. With competition from Oliver, then Kevin Mealamu , Tom Willis and Corey Flynn many of his appearances were off the bench. He was the starting hooker against Tonga (2000), Ireland twice, Australia, South Africa (all 2002), South Africa and Canada (2003). His career finished with 30 appearances for New Zealand (29 tests), 76 for Canterbury and 81 for the Crusaders.