Dan Pryor

Dan Pryor
Full name Daniel Pryor
Date of birth (1988-04-14) 14 April 1988
Place of birth Auckland, New Zealand
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Weight 103 kg (16 st 3 lb; 227 lb)
School Auckland Grammar School
University Auckland University of Technology
Notable relative(s) Kara Pryor (brother)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Loose Forward
Current team Highlanders / Munakata Sanix Blues
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2010–2017 Northland 54 (55)
2012 Blues 1 (0)
2015−present Highlanders 34 (30)
2018−present Munakata Sanix Blues ()
Correct as of 11 January 2017
National team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
2014–present Māori All Blacks 2 (5)
Correct as of 11 January 2017

Dan Pryor (born 14 April 1988) is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays as a loose forward for the Highlanders in the international Super Rugby competition and the Munakata Sanix Blues in the Japanese Top League.[1][2][3][4][5]

Early career

Born and raised in Auckland, Pryor hails from a rugby family with grandfather Albie being an Auckland and Māori All Blacks representative while brother Kara also went on to become a professional rugby union player. He attended Auckland Grammar School in his home city and played first XV rugby while there. After graduation he began studying towards a degree in business and advertising at the Auckland University of Technology while playing his club rugby for Grammar TEC with whom he won the Gallaher Shield in 2013. He also spent time with the Auckland academy before departing the Auckland club scene in 2014 and joining Marist in the Northland club rugby competition.[6][7]

Senior career

He started out his senior career playing for the Northland Taniwha during the 2010 ITM Cup and instantly made himself a regular in the side, scoring 3 tries in 8 starts during his debut season of provincial rugby. The Taniwha are traditionally one of the weakest provinces in New Zealand's senior domestic competition and have played in the Championship, the second tier, since the competition was last rejigged in 2011. A career highlight for Pryor and his side was the 2014 ITM Cup where a 3rd-place finish on the Championship log ensured they would appear in the playoffs. Unfortunately his 57th minute try against Hawke's Bay in the semi-finals wasn't enough to inspire his side to victory and they eventually went down 26-21.

After the highs of the 2014 campaign came the lows of the 2015 and 2016 seasons. 2015 saw Northland lose all 10 of their regular season games to finish last on the log and this was also where they would finish in 2016, despite improved performances, a solitary win from 10 games was all they could show for their efforts. Pryor featured 7 times and contributed 1 try in 2015, however injury restricted him to just two appearances in 2016.[2]

Super Rugby

An injury crisis among the Blues loose forwards during the 2012 Super Rugby season saw him get his first experience of rugby at that level making his debut in a 34-23 defeat away to the Rebels on 5 April 2012, however that was to be his only Blues appearance and he wasn't named in their squad for either the 2013 or 2014 seasons.[8]

Following some impressive displays as one of the senior members of a young and inexperienced Northland Taniwha side during the 2014 New Zealand domestic season, he was named in the Dunedin-based Highlanders squad ahead of the 2015 Super Rugby season.[9] His first season with the 'Landers turned out to be a dream with the franchise going on to win the Super Rugby title for the first time in their history after a 21-14 victory over the Hurricanes in the final. Pryor played 17 times out of a possible 19 and contributed 3 tries, however an elbow injury ruled him out of the semi-final and final.[10] He played a further 16 times the following year, however, owing to strong competition among loose forwards such as Shane Christie, Luke Whitelock, Elliot Dixon and Liam Squire, he was only able to start 5 matches as the Highlanders were unable to retain their Super Rugby crown, losing out to the Lions in the semi-finals.[2]

Tony Brown replaced the Japan-bound Jamie Joseph as the Highlanders head coach ahead of the 2017 Super Rugby season and he opted to retain Pryor in the squad for his first season in charge.[5]

International

Pryor was named in the Māori All Blacks squad ahead of the 2014 end-of-year rugby union internationals and debuted in a 61-21 win over Japan in Kobe, coming on to the field as a 49th minute replacement for future Highlanders teammate Elliot Dixon. The following week the same two sides would meet, this time in Tokyo. Pryor started the match in the number 6 jersey and was to score the decisive try in the final minute of the match to secure a dramatic 20-18 win for his side.[11][12]

Career Honours

Highlanders

Super Rugby statistics

As of 11 January 2017[2]
SeasonTeamGamesStartsSubMinsTriesConsPensDropsPointsYelRed
2012 Blues110800000000
2015 Highlanders1771075230001500
2016 Highlanders1651167430001500
Total341321150660003000

References

  1. ↑ "Dan Pryor Northland Taniwha Player Profile". Northland Rugby. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Dan Pryor itsrugby.co.uk Player Statistics". itsrugby.co.uk. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  3. ↑ "Dan Pryor ESPN Scrum Player Profile". ESPN Scrum. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
  4. ↑ "Dan Pryor Highlanders Player Profile". Highlanders Rugby. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
  5. 1 2 "Highlanders 2017 Squad Guide" (PDF). All Blacks.com. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  6. ↑ "Where are you now Dan Pryor?". Grammar TEC rugby. 24 July 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
  7. ↑ "Rugby: New Highlander on the rise". Otago Daily Times. 24 January 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
  8. ↑ "Dan Pryor Blues Player Profile". Blues Rugby. Archived from the original on 23 January 2015. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  9. ↑ "Highlanders sign SA prop". Sport 24. 1 October 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
  10. ↑ "Highlanders team named for 2015 Super Rugby Final". Highlanders Rugby. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
  11. ↑ "Dan Pryor Maori All Blacks Player Profile". All Blacks.com. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
  12. ↑ "2014 Maori All Blacks squad named". All Blacks.com. 21 October 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
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