Matt Proctor

{{Infobox rugby biography

| name = Matt Proctor

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| fullname = Matthew Phillip Proctor

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1992|10|26|df=y}}

| birth_place = Wellington, New Zealand

| height = {{convert|180|cm|ftin|0|abbr=on}}

| weight = {{convert|90|kg|lb stlb|0|abbr=on}}

| school = St Patrick's College, Wellington

| university =

| relatives = Billy Proctor (brother)

| occupation =

| spouse =

| position = Centre, Wing, Fullback

| currentclub = {{Rut|Force}}

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 =

| years1 = 2012–2018

| clubs1 = {{Rut|Wellington}}

| apps1 = 51

| points1 = 63

| years2 = 2013–2019

| clubs2 = Hurricanes

| apps2 = 67

| points2 = 60

| years3 = 2019–2023

| clubs3 = Northampton Saints

| apps3 = 72

| points3 = 60

| years4 = 2024–2024

| clubs4 = {{Rut|Rebels}}

| apps4 =5

| points4 =0

| repyears1 = 2012

| repteam1 = New Zealand U20

| repcaps1 = 3

| reppoints1 = 5

| repyears2 = 2013–2018

| repteam2 = Māori All Blacks

| repcaps2 = 12

| reppoints2 = 5

| repyears3 = 2018

| repteam3 = New Zealand

| repcaps3 = 1

| reppoints3 = 5

| clubupdate = 2/11/2024

| repupdate = 16 April 2019

|clubs5={{Rut|Force}}|years5=2024-}}

Matthew Phillip Proctor (born 26 October 1992) is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays as a utility back for the Western Force in Super Rugby. He has previously played for the Northampton Saints in the Premiership Rugby{{cite web | url=http://www.wellingtonlions.co.nz/our-team/player-profiles/120-Matt-Proctor | title=Matt Proctor profile | publisher=Wellington Lions | accessdate=4 November 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130208042944/http://wellingtonlions.co.nz/our-team/player-profiles/120-Matt-Proctor | archive-date=8 February 2013 | url-status=dead }} and for the Melbourne Rebels and {{Rut|Hurricanes}} in Super Rugby.{{cite web | url= http://www.hurricanes.co.nz/team/players/matt-proctor | title=Matt Proctor profile | publisher=Hurricanes | accessdate=20 December 2012 }}

Club career

In October 2012, he was named in the Hurricanes squad for the 2013 Super Rugby season.{{cite press release|url=http://www.hurricanes.co.nz/news/2012/10/31/2013-hurricanes-squad-named |publisher=Hurricanes |title=2013 Hurricanes squad |date=31 October 2012 |accessdate=4 November 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130126101759/http://www.hurricanes.co.nz/news/2012/10/31/2013-hurricanes-squad-named |archivedate=26 January 2013 }} He scored a try on debut against the Stormers on 27 April 2013, playing on the wing.{{cite news | url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/8604104/Canes-face-hooking-crisis-after-Matu-u-injury | title='Canes face hooking crisis after Matu'u injury | first=Toby | last=Robson | publisher=Stuff | date=27 April 2013 | accessdate=22 July 2019 }}

After the departure of the Hurricanes' long-serving midfield combination, Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith, Proctor became a regular starter for the club in 2016. At the end of the season, Proctor started for the Hurricanes in the 2016 Super Rugby Final, in which the team won Super Rugby for the first time. Proctor's form continued into the 2017 season, leading to rumours of an All Black call-up.{{cite web | url= https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11831549 | title=Rugby: Matt Proctor one of NZ rugby's big improvers | author = Campbell Burnes | work= The New Zealand Herald | accessdate= 14 February 2019 }} However, Proctor lost his place in the starting lineup in 2017, after struggling with injury, while midfield team-mates, Vince Aso and Ngani Laumape, were the top two scorers of the competition for the year.

Although Proctor missed the Hurricanes' historic fixture against the touring British & Irish Lions, in 2017, he did start for the Māori All Blacks against the Lions, in a 10–32 loss, on 17 June 2017.

Having re-gained his place in the Hurricanes' starting XV in the 2018 Super Rugby season, Proctor was then named as Wellington's Captain for the 2018 Mitre 10 Cup, succeeding England international flanker, Brad Shields, as the team's leader.{{cite web | url= https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/provincial/106228433/matt-proctor-succeeds-brad-shields-as-wellington-lions-skipper | title= Matt Proctor succeeds Brad Shields as Wellington Lions skipper | work = Hamish Bidwell | publisher= stuff.co.nz | accessdate= 14 February 2019 }}{{cite web | url= https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/sport/rugby/matt-proctor-named-wellington-captain-mitre-10-cup?variant=tb_v_1 | title= Matt Proctor named Wellington captain for Mitre 10 Cup | publisher= TVNZ | accessdate= 14 February 2019 }}

On 11 January 2019, Proctor signed a three-year deal with English Premiership side Northampton Saints ahead of the 2019–20 season.{{cite news | url= https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/sport/2019/01/all-blacks-northampton-saints-confirm-matt-proctor-signing.html | title= All Blacks: Northampton Saints confirm Matt Proctor signing | newspaper=Newshub | accessdate= 14 February 2019 }}{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

International career

Proctor was a member of the New Zealand Under 20 team which competed in the 2012 IRB Junior World Championship in South Africa.{{cite web | url=http://www.irb.com/jwc/teams/team=3437/player=45602/index.html | title=Matt Proctor profile | work = Junior World Championship| publisher=IRB | accessdate=4 November 2012 }}

Proctor was named in the New Zealand's 51-man All Blacks squad for the 2018 end-of-year tour, by All Black Head Coach Steve Hansen, in the wider training squad to travel to Japan. In the absence of New Zealand's regular starting lineup, who travelled to Europe earlier than the rest of the team, Proctor was named to start in the 3 November test against Japan.{{cite web | url= https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/108291690/two-all-blacks-debutants-with-potentially-the-most-to-gain-from-japan-test-in-tokyo | title= Dalton Papalii and Matt Proctor cherish their All Black debuts | work = Joseph Pearson | publisher= stuff.co.nz | accessdate= 14 February 2019 }} Proctor was one of eight players to make their test debut for New Zealand in the game, including his Hurricanes team-mate Gareth Evans, as well as only two players to start on debut that day, the other being Blues loose forward, Dalton Papalii. Proctor had a fine performance and scored a try on his debut, with New Zealand beating Japan by 69–31.{{cite web | url= https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/108313505/how-steve-hansens-inexperienced-all-blacks-rated-against-japan-in-tokyo-test | title= All Blacks player ratings against Japan in the Tokyo test | work = Joseph Pearson | publisher= stuff.co.nz | accessdate= 14 February 2019 }}

Personal life

Proctor is a New Zealander of Māori descent (Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngāpuhi descent).{{cite web|url=https://npec.co.nz/wp/2015/06/30/5-players-from-ngati-porou-named-in-maori-all-blacks/|title=5 players from Ngāti Porou named in "Maori All Blacks"|website=

Ngāti Porou East Coast|date=2015-06-30|access-date=2024-02-22}} He is the brother of New Zealand international Billy Proctor.{{cite web|url=https://clubrugby.nz/wp/2024/06/26/billy-proctor-set-to-join-his-brother-matt-in-all-black-colours/ |title=Billy Proctor set to join his brother Matt in All Black colours |date=2024-06-26 |access-date=2024-10-26}}

Super Rugby statistics

{{updated|29 June 2023}}{{cite web | url=https://www.itsrugby.co.uk/players/matt-proctor-26316.html | title=Player Statistics | work=its rugby | access-date=29 June 2023}}

Season	Team	Games	Starts	Sub	Mins	Tries	Cons	Pens	Drops	Points	Yel	Red
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; line-height:90%; font-size:95%; width:70%;"
2013	{{Rut\|Hurricanes}}	4	3	1	263	1	0	0	0	5	0	0
2014	{{Rut\|Hurricanes}}	9	3	6	363	1	0	0	0	5	1	0
2015	{{Rut\|Hurricanes}}	11	4	7	416	3	0	0	0	15	0	0
2016	{{Rut\|Hurricanes}}	13	12	1	899	1	0	0	0	5	0	0
2017	{{Rut\|Hurricanes}}	7	6	1	452	2	0	0	0	10	0	0
2018	{{Rut\|Hurricanes}}	9	9	0	655	3	0	0	0	10	0	0
2019	{{Rut\|Hurricanes}}	14	13	1	967	1	0	0	0	5	0	0
colspan="2"\|Total \|\| 67 \|\| 50 \|\| 17 \|\| 4,015 \|\| 12 \|\| 0 \|\| 0 \|\| 0 \|\| 60 \|\| 1 \|\| 0