Zach Gallagher cops 'a bit of stick' after moving from Crusaders to Hurricanes

Zach Gallagher. Photo: Getty Images

By Barry Guy

Former Crusaders lock Zach Gallagher thought long and hard about leaving Christchruch and moving north to the Hurricanes.

After limited game time with the Crusaders, the 23-year-old felt a move would probably help his career.

It started when he received a phone call from Hurricanes coach Clark Laidlaw last year, but he took his time before committing to the change.

"I thought that challenging myself and stepping outside my comfort zone would be good for me," Gallagher told RNZ.

"I've been in Christchurch my whole life and the Crusader environment for a while, so I thought it would be a good change up."

Gallagher was head boy at Christ's College, where he captained the 1st XV. He also rowed in the Maadi Cup.

He made his Canterbury debut in 2020 and was an All Blacks XV representative in 2022.

With an intense rivalry between Canterbury and the rest of the country, the 197cm second rower knew he was set for some ribbing from friends and family.

"I've been given a bit of stick for coming up here, but my dad's side of the family are all Wellingtonians and so when I was down south it was the opposite with them struggling to support the Crusaders.

"I'm actually living with my Nana up here and I've got quite a few relatives so it's been nice to connect with them and spend a bit more time with that side of the family.

He managed just one game for the Crusaders in 2024 before a head knock suffered against the Hurricanes sent him to the sidelines.

While the Hurricanes finished top of the table last season before losing in the semi-finals, the Crusaders managed just four wins and missed out on the play-offs for the first time since 2015.

Gallagher said it wasn't a case of jumping ship.

"I definitely wasn't escaping They'll be a good team this year, probably keen the right some wrongs from last year so round one will be an interesting match-up."

Gallagher was a product of the Crusaders Academy and went on to play 19 games for the Crusaders between 2022 to 2024.

"They do have an awesome academy and a programme that brings people through school into Canterbury and the Crusaders and I think they're the most successful academy in the world at transitioning their own talent into Crusaders."

Pre-season training has gone well for Gallagher who has enjoyed his new environment.

"It's been more than I expected, it's been really high performance with the integration of the coaches and the mindset has been really impressive."