Codie Taylor

Few hookers of his generation have accumulated as much silverware as Codie Taylor, one of the defining front-row forwards of the modern Crusaders era. Born on 31 March 1991, he has built a long and decorated career with the franchise and the All Blacks, combining set-piece craft with a genuine try-scoring threat around the field. Taylor's game pairs the core skills of the modern hooker with a dynamic, back-row-style profile in open play. He is an accurate lineout thrower who takes responsibility for his own ball, a technically disciplined scrummager, and an explosive carrier who consistently breaks the gain-line in the tight channels. That mix of specialist detail and attacking threat has made him one of the highest-output hookers in world rugby. At the Crusaders he has been part of multiple Super Rugby title wins and has served in senior leadership roles, including as vice-captain, underlining the standing he has built within the dressing room. Those successes sit at the heart of one of the most dominant club eras in the competition's history. On the international stage, Taylor was part of the All Blacks squad that lifted the 2015 Rugby World Cup, a defining moment in his Test career, and he has remained a core forward across successive selection cycles. His combination of silverware, leadership and attacking edge has established him as one of the benchmark hookers of his era and a long-term cornerstone of the New Zealand front row.