Jeremy Thrush and Sam McNicol to join 2027 Hurricanes coaching group

The Hurricanes are pleased to announce that Jeremy Thrush and Sam McNicol will join the men’s team coaching staff as assistant coaches for the 2027 Super Rugby Pacific campaign.

The addition of Thrush and McNicol, both former Hurricanes players, finalises next year’s coaching group, where they will join head coach Clark Laidlaw and fellow assistants Cory Jane, Jamie Mackintosh, and Roger Randle. 

One of 19 Hurricanes centurions, Thrush returns to the Hurricanes more than a decade after playing the last of his 110 matches for the club.

The 41-year-old’s coaching pedigree has been shaped by a wealth of playing experience, including 12 All Blacks tests, 88 NPC appearances for Wellington, and 58 matches for English club Gloucester.

Thrush later joined the Western Force, playing more than 50 times for the club across Global Rapid Rugby, the NRC, and Super Rugby before ending his 18-season playing career in 2023.

The ex-lock transitioned into coaching while in Perth, holding various assistant and head coach roles with the Force’s academy and men’s teams. He gained additional experience as an Australia U20 assistant coach in 2025 and 2026.

"I’m extremely excited about connecting back up with the Hurricanes,” Thrush said.

“It’s a club that means a lot to me and gave me so much, and I feel privileged to have been considered for the role. 

“I’m really looking forward to getting to know the staff and players and contributing to the environment that’s been created at the club.”

McNicol also returns to the Hurricanes after making a solitary appearance for the club during the 2015 Super Rugby season.

The 31-year-old former wing and centre then played for the Chiefs between 2016 and 2020, and represented Wellington and Hawke’s Bay at NPC level. 

An injury-enforced retirement enabled a move into coaching in Hawke’s Bay, where he joined the province’s NPC side as an assistant coach while building coaching experience at local school and club level.

McNicol has also been involved with the Hurricanes’ age-grade and development sides in recent years and will lead the Hurricanes Hunters as its head coach.

"I really enjoyed being in the Hurricanes environment over the last couple of years with the U20s and Hunters,” McNicol said.

“Joining the Hurricanes' coaching group is an exciting next step for me, and I am looking forward to rubbing shoulders with such a quality group.”

Hurricanes head coach Clark Laidlaw is thrilled to welcome Thrush and McNicol to the club next season.

"We’re extremely excited to have both Thrushy and Sam back at the Hurricanes,” Laidlaw said.

“Thrushy is a centurion, a former captain, and a highly competitive Hurricane who got the best out of himself and others, and we think those attributes have really served him well as he started his coaching career in Australia over the last couple of years.

“Jamie Mackintosh and I have had chats with him around how he sees the lineout part, but also the game in general. We think he can come here and continue to develop as a coach and add to the work done over the past two or three seasons.

“Sam’s been coaching at Hawke’s Bay after finishing his playing career early. I remember coaching him as an 18-year-old when he played for the Hurricanes Schools team and he was an exceptional talent.

“He had a tough playing career with injuries, but that’s got him into coaching while he’s young and hungry and really open to learning. He’s done a really good job up at Hawke’s Bay, where we get great feedback about his work from our players.

“We really look forward welcoming them both back to the club and help them grow as coaches and really make them feel like they belong here again.”

Jeremy Thrush

Date of Birth: 19 April 1985 (41-years-old)
Place of Birth: Auckland
Position: Lock
Height: 1.98m
Weight: 118kg
Club: Hutt Old Boys Marist
School: Hutt Valley High School
Hurricanes Number: #145
Hurricanes Caps: 110 (Debut v Waratahs, 16 February 2008)
Hurricanes Points: 50 (10 tries)
Playing Career: New Zealand U19 (2004), New Zealand U21 (2005-2006), Wellington (2006-2015), Hurricanes (2008-2015), Junior All Blacks (2009), All Blacks (2013-2015), Gloucester (2015-2018), Barbarians (2017), Western Force (2018-2023)
Playing Honours: IRB U19 World Championship (2004), Ranfurly Shield (2008-2009), Pacific Nations Cup (2009), 2x Rugby Championship (2013, 2014), 3x Bledisloe Cup (2013, 2014, 2015), Global Rapid Rugby (2019), National Rugby Championship (2019)
Coaching Career: Western Force Academy Assistant Coach (2022-2023), Western Force Academy Head Coach (2024-2026), Western Force Assistant Coach (2025), Australia U20 Assistant Coach (2025-2026)

Sam McNicol

Date of Birth: 6 October 1995 (31-years-old)
Place of Birth: Feilding
Position: Wing, Centre
Height: 1.85m
Weight: 94kg
Club: Petone Rugby Football Club, Central Hawke’s Bay Rugby & Sports Club
School: Napier Boys’ High School
Hurricanes Number: #218
Hurricanes Caps: 1 (Debut v Chiefs, 13 June 2015)
Playing Career: Hurricanes (2015), Wellington (2015), Chiefs (2016-2020), Hawke’s Bay (2016-2020)
Playing Honours: Ranfurly Shield (2020), Mitre 10 Cup Championship (2020)
Coaching Career: Hawke’s Bay Assistant Coach (2022-2026), Central Hawke’s Bay Rugby & Sports Club Head Coach (2023-2024), Hurricanes U20 Assistant Coach (2025), Hurricanes Hunters Assistant Coach (2026)