Billy Proctor set to join his brother Matt in All Black colours

Above: Billy Proctor playing for the Hurricanes earlier this year and playing for Marist St Pat’s in his debut club season in 2017 (inset left) and as a newly minted All Black at Wednesday’s All Blacks session in Upper Hutt (inset right). 

Billy Proctor has been in a professional rugby environment since he was a teenager. In September 2018 Proctor created history when he signed a five-year deal with the Hurricanes, the longest contract they had offered a player since their formation in 1996.

At the time, Proctor said: “I’m obviously really excited about the opportunity. The length of my contract gives me some real security and the ability to just concentrate on developing my game.”

Proctor made his debut for the Hurricanes in 2019 and one season on from that initial contract period, his domestic and franchise rugby development is complete as he is now Wellington’s newest All Black will looks set to make his debut in the upcoming series against England.

When he takes the field in black for the first time, he will join his older brother Matt as an All Black. Matt Proctor was previously a centre for the Hurricanes who made 66 appearances between 2013 and 2019 and was capped by the All Blacks in a 69-31 win against Japan in Toyko in 2019. Their father Phil was a New Zealand junior representative and played tighthead prop for Wellington. Older brother James Procter played for Tasman and won a Jubilee Cup with Ories and also played for MSP.

Wellington’s All Black brothers:

• Mark, Harry and Ginger Nicholls
• James and Edmond Ryan
• Julian and Ardie Savea
• Jack and Syd Shearer
• Jack and George Spencer
• Fred and Jimmy Tilyard
• Matt and Billy Proctor (yet to be capped).

Northern United halfback TJ Perenara, who has also come back from a serious leg injury to be selected in the first All Blacks squad of 2024, compared the two brothers in 2020.

“Billy is a lot like his brother. He’s very good defensively. He understands defensive reads, offensive shifts, makes good calls defensively.

“Then offensively, he’s a big, strong kid who you put him in half a gap, he’ll take it.”

TJ Perenara and Asafo Aumua have both been selected in the first All Blacks team of the year.

Little appears to have changed but Billy has matured, as he told Club Rugby’s Adam Julian in an interview last year.

“That feels like a long time ago. I’ve pretty much learned everything I know about rugby and life at the Hurricanes. It’s a privilege to be in this environment. It has its ups and downs. You’ve got to work hard every day, look to build all the time.”

This season he has gone from strength to strength, and he captained the Hurricanes this year amidst making 12 Super Rugby appearances for the team. During this season, he brought up 50 appearances and finished 2024 with 61 Hurricanes caps and 17 tries behind him.

Billy Proctor running out to play his 50th game for the Hurricanes earlier this year.

Billy has featured 59 times for Wellington, and was a NPC and Ranfurly Shield winner in 2022. He has scored 11 tries for the Lions in first-class rugby.

Billy has already worn the Black jersey with distinction for New Zealand teams.

He spent two seasons with the New Zealand U20s team in 2018 and 2019.

In 2020, he made his Māori All Blacks debut against Moana Pasifika in Hamilton. He played for them again in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

He toured Japan with the New Zealand XV last year. In the second match of the tour, he scored four tries in a 41-27 win over the Brave Blossoms in Tokyo.

“It was a few catches and put-downs,” Proctor humbly said afterwards.

“I’d never scored a hat-trick in my career so it was pretty cool to get four tries.

Proctor joined Marist St Pat’s out of school in 2017 and made his Premier Swindale Shield debut at centre in round two of that year against Petone. He played 17 Swindale Shield/Jubilee Cup matches for MSP in 2017.

He has played 19 times since for MSP, for 36 Wellington club rugby appearances, and last played for MSP in round three two seasons ago against the Upper Hutt Rams.

Players to have been selected for the All Blacks for the first time out of Marist St Pat’s (since 1971) have been: Grant Batty, Joe Karam, John Fleming, Tu Wylie, Brian McGrattan, Jonny Schuster, Victor Vito and Jeff Toomaga-Allen

When he takes the field he will be 14th All Black to have passed through the gates at St Pat’s Town.

Some other famous St Pat’s Town All Blacks have been James Ryan, Paul Markham, Maurice Brownlie and Jerry Collins.

He will become the first All Black from St Pat’s Town to have gone on and made the All Blacks for the first time while representing Marist St Pat’s.

A talented athlete, Billy Proctor is electronically recorded record holder in the U14 Hurdles at McEvedy Shield, running 11.89s in 2013. Older bother Matt is the electronically recorded Open Hurdles record holder, running 14.74s in 2010.

Billy Proctor scores for St Pat’s Town in their 19-9 Wellington First XV Premiership final win over Scots College in 2015.