Jacob Devery

Jacob Devery
Date of birth (1998-10-21) 21 October 1998 (age 26)
Place of birthHastings, New Zealand
Height180 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Weight103 kg (16 st 3 lb; 227 lb)
SchoolHastings Boys' High School
Rugby union career
Position(s) Hooker
Current team Hawke's Bay, Hurricanes
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2017– Hawke's Bay 35 (40)
2022 Hurricanes 7 (5)
Correct as of 18 October 2024

Jacob Devery (born 21 October 1998) is a New Zealand rugby union player, who currently plays as a hooker for Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition[1] and the Hurricanes in Super Rugby.[2]

Early career

Devery attended Hastings Boys' High School, where he played three years in the First XV team,[3] alongside future Hawke's Bay teammates Devan Flanders, Folau Fakatava, Lincoln McClutchie, Danny Toala and Kianu Kereru-Symes. In his final year, 2016, he helped his team win the Super 8 title after beating Hamilton Boys' High School 30–8 in the final[4] and reach the National Top 4 final, which they narrowly lost to Mount Albert Grammar School (13–14).[5]

Devery was selected for the Hurricanes Under 18 team in 2016[6] and represented Hawke's Bay at the Jock Hobbs Memorial National Under 19 Tournament in 2018.[7]

While Devery's current preferred position is hooker, as a youngster he started playing at second five-eighth (inside centre) and has – years later – made the occasional appearance in the 12 jersey.[8] He has also frequently played as a Number 8 in club rugby, including for Hastings Rugby & Sports Club during the 2021 club rugby season.[9]

Senior career

Devery was, for the first time, named in the Hawke's Bay squad for the 2017 Mitre 10 Cup season.[10] He made his debut – off the bench – for the province on 25 August 2017 against Bay of Plenty and earned his first start on 6 September 2017 against Wellington.[11] He played 7 games for Hawke's Bay that season.

His performance in 2017 saw him selected for the NZ Marist team to play a Heartland XV side.[12] He also played for the team in 2019.[13]

While he was named in the Hawke's Bay squad for the 2018 Mitre 10 Cup season, he didn't play any games for the Magpies that year due to being injured for a large part of the season.[14] Being the third choice hooker for Hawke's Bay behind Ash Dixon and Kianu Kereru-Symes, he didn't get much game time in 2019 and 2020 either, but things changed in 2021. In the absence of injured Kereru-Symes, Devery first got game time off the reserves bench and later earned several starts after Ash Dixon got injured and then left for Japan.[15][16] He scored five tries for the Magpies in 2021.

His performance for the Magpies in 2021 didn't go unnoticed. While Devery wasn't named in the Hurricanes squad for the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season, he was called into the squad during preseason and played in both of the Hurricanes' preseason games.[17][18] Devery made his Super Rugby debut for the franchise (off the bench) on 19 February 2022 in their round 1 clash with the Crusaders.[19]

International rugby

Devery was invited to attend the New Zealand Under 20 development camp in December 2017.[20] Due to injury, he wasn't considered for the following trial camp and missed out on a spot in the New Zealand Under 20 team for the 2018 Oceania Rugby Under 20 Championship and World Rugby U20 Championship.[21]

Reference list

  1. ^ @hbmagpies (31 July 2024). "Squad 2024". Retrieved 19 August 2024 – via Instagram.
  2. ^ "Hurricanes Player Profile". Hurricanes. 2023. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  3. ^ "Mystery fan treats team for top year". Hawke's Bay Today. 8 September 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  4. ^ "Rugby Hastings win Super 8 title". Hawke's Bay Today. 13 August 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  5. ^ "MAGS reach the Mountain top of first XV rugby". College Sport Media. 4 September 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  6. ^ "Hurricanes Youth Rugby Council name strong U18 team to play Crusaders U18". College Sport Media. 14 July 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  7. ^ "Hooker Kianu Kereru-Symes ready to step up for Hawke's Bay Magpies in Dixon's absence". Hawke's Bay Today. 8 September 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  8. ^ "800 descend for Spillane Cup". Hawke's Bay Today. 7 March 2020. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  9. ^ "Mental toughness fuels defending champs Madison Trophy quest". Hawke's Bay App. 16 July 2021. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  10. ^ "Props Mark Braidwood, Jarvy Aoake rewarded with Magpies recalls". Hawke's Bay Today. 9 August 2017. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  11. ^ "Weber to captain Magpies in 100th first class outing". Hawke's Bay Today. 6 September 2017. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  12. ^ "New Zealand Marist team named to take Heartland XV in Timaru". Stuff NZ. 26 October 2017. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  13. ^ "TEAM NAMING: NZ Marist Team to take on NZ Heartland XV". NZ Marist Rugby Football Federation. 28 October 2019. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  14. ^ "Hooker Devery eyes Magpies return". Hawke's Bay Today. 9 March 2019. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  15. ^ "Hawke's Bay Magpies lose skipper ahead of Canterbury match". Hawke's Bay Today. 15 October 2021. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  16. ^ "Hawke's Bay Magpies hold off Waikato in final Shield defence". Hawke's Bay Today. 23 October 2021. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  17. ^ "Hurricanes named for pre-season clash against the Blues". Hurricanes (Press release). 4 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  18. ^ "Hurricanes team named for pre-season clash against the Crusaders". Hurricanes (Press release). 10 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  19. ^ "Hurricanes team named for highly anticipated rd1 clash against the Crusaders". Hurricanes (Press release). 17 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  20. ^ "Journey to 2018 World Rugby Under 20 Championship begins". allblacks.com (Press release). 31 October 2017. Archived from the original on 4 March 2021. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  21. ^ "Under 20 hopefuls in final push for World Cup squad selection". allblacks.com (Press release). 7 March 2018. Archived from the original on 4 August 2021. Retrieved 18 February 2022.