Jack Goodhue extends BNZ Crusaders contract to 2019

Sep 21 • General News, International • 1414 Views • Comments Off on Jack Goodhue extends BNZ Crusaders contract to 2019

Exciting BNZ Crusaders centre, Jack Goodhue, has committed to the team until 2019.

Goodhue joined the BNZ Crusaders last year for the first time but was out of action for most of the season while he recovered from a knee injury suffered in the previous provincial season. While he has yet to earn a Crusaders cap, he is highly valued as a player with enormous potential.

BNZ Crusaders Head Coach Scott Robertson said Goodhue has shown what an outstanding player he is when he has played for both the Canterbury and New Zealand Under 20 teams, and is more than ready to unleash that talent on the Super Rugby stage.

“Jack is a remarkable young man, with maturity beyond his years both on and off the field. He has had a rough run in the last couple of years, with a concussion curtailing his 2014 season for Canterbury and then the knee injury in the 2^nd game of the 2015 provincial season ruling him out for close to a year. But we have seen just how good this guy at both Canterbury and the NZ Under 20s and I firmly believe he is one of our most exciting rising stars,” Robertson said.

Goodhue comes from Northland originally, and his twin brother Josh currently represents the province as a lock in the Mitre 10 Cup. Older brother Cameron also played for Northland and the Blues as a loose forward, before heading overseas to play for the Worcester Warriors and then London Welsh. Jack moved to Canterbury to study agriculture at Lincoln University, and soon found himself representing the province in red and black.

In 2015 Goodhue became a dual-national, representing both the All Blacks Sevens and the New Zealand Under 20 team in the World Rugby Under 20 Championship, captaining the side in one of those games.

Goodhue says the Crusaders is where he sees his future and he was pleased to be able to extend his contract until the end of 2019.

“I love the environment down here and I know that I can learn so much. Scott Robertson is a coach that I know well and really respect, so it will be great working with him in the Crusaders, and likewise with Brad Mooar who I worked with in the Crusaders this year, and Leon MacDonald who coached me in the NZ Under 20s. Hopefully I can head into the 2017 season without any injuries this time, and repay the coaches for the faith they’ve shown in me by making a useful contribution to the team,” Goodhue said.