November 24, 2025
I t’s been a heck of a time for star Mid Canterbury rugby flanker Declan McCormack.
Our red headgear-wearing warrior captained the New Zealand Heartland XV in its first outing of a two-game tour of Samoa in Apia on Tuesday, leading his side to a 31-14 win over a Samoan Presidents XV.
If that wasn’t impressive enough, McCormack was then named a finalist in the annual New Zealand Rugby Awards. For the second straight year, he’s been shortlisted for the Ian Kirkpatrick Medal for the best Heartland Championship player, alongside fellow finalists Sam Walton-Sexton (Wairarapa Bush) and Keanu Taumata (Poverty Bay).
Not surprisingly, the team at Mid Canterbury Rugby saluted McCormack’s finalist confirmation, calling it a “brilliant honour’’ on their Facebook page. “Nice one Declan!’’ it read.
Nice one indeed for a player who co-captained Mid Canterbury with Adam Williamson to its first Meads Cup title win in 11 years when it edged Thames Valley 21-18 in a memorable Heartland Championship final in Ashburton last month.
But McCormack’s focus now is helping his New Zealand Heartland team complete its tour with a win over a Samoan Development XV on Saturday, and you would have to back them to get the job done.
The Heartland team scored five tries in their first up win, with McCormack’s MC Hammer colleagues Tom Reekie, Jackson Donlan and Hunter Stewart all scoring tries.
Fellow Mid Canterbury players Manasa Samo and Toetu Touli also played in that first game, with Hugh Cameron sitting the opener out.
I t’s been a heck of a time for star Mid Canterbury rugby flanker Declan McCormack.
Our red headgear-wearing warrior captained the New Zealand Heartland XV in its first outing of a two-game tour of Samoa in Apia on Tuesday, leading his side to a 31-14 win over a Samoan Presidents XV.
If that wasn’t impressive enough, McCormack was then named a finalist in the annual New Zealand Rugby Awards. For the second straight year, he’s been shortlisted for the Ian Kirkpatrick Medal for the best Heartland Championship player, alongside fellow finalists Sam Walton-Sexton (Wairarapa Bush) and Keanu Taumata (Poverty Bay).
Not surprisingly, the team at Mid Canterbury Rugby saluted McCormack’s finalist confirmation, calling it a “brilliant honour’’ on their Facebook page. “Nice one Declan!’’ it read.
Nice one indeed for a player who co-captained Mid Canterbury with Adam Williamson to its first Meads Cup title win in 11 years when it edged Thames Valley 21-18 in a memorable Heartland Championship final in Ashburton last month.
But McCormack’s focus now is helping his New Zealand Heartland team complete its tour with a win over a Samoan Development XV on Saturday, and you would have to back them to get the job done.
The Heartland team scored five tries in their first up win, with McCormack’s MC Hammer colleagues Tom Reekie, Jackson Donlan and Hunter Stewart all scoring tries.
Fellow Mid Canterbury players Manasa Samo and Toetu Touli also played in that first game, with Hugh Cameron sitting the opener out.
