Reece Hodge

Reece Hodge
Hodge with Australia against Italy in 2017
Date of birth (1994-08-26) 26 August 1994 (age 30)[1]
Place of birthNorth Sydney, New South Wales, Australia[1]
Height191 cm (6 ft 3 in)[2]
Weight94 kg (207 lb)[2]
SchoolNorthern Beaches Secondary College, Selective Campus
UniversityUniversity of Sydney[3]
Rugby union career
Position(s) Centre / Fullback / Wing / Fly-half
Youth career
–2012 Harbord Harlequins
–2012 Northern Beaches Secondary College
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
2011–2015 Manly 21 (169)
Correct as of 15 August 2015
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2015 North Harbour Rays 7 (19)
2023– Bayonne 6 (10)
Correct as of 8 June 2024
Super Rugby
Years Team Apps (Points)
2016–2023 Melbourne Rebels 100 (573)
Correct as of 2 June 2023
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2012 Australian Schoolboys 2
2013 Australia U20 3 (14)
2022 Australia A 1 (2)
2016– Australia 63 (168)
Correct as of 9 July 2023

Reece Hodge (born 26 August 1994) is an Australian professional rugby union player who plays as a back. After playing his junior career primarily at fly-half,[4] Hodge initially played fullback and wing for the Rebels, and primarily played wing for Australia, before eventually moving to centre. In his most recent appearance for Australia (8 July 2023; South Africa) Hodge played at inside centre. Hodge currently plays for French club Bayonne in the Top 14 and the Australia national team. Hodge started his professional career in Super Rugby with the Melbourne Rebels, where he reached 100 appearances and became the team's most capped player before his departure in 2023.[5][6]

Career

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Domestic career

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Hodge began playing rugby union in his youth with the Harbord Harlequins in 2001.[7] Playing school rugby for Northern Beaches Secondary College (Manly Selective Campus), Hodge was an injury replacement in the 2012 Australian Schoolboys tour of Fiji and New Zealand.[8] Before Hodge was called up to represent Australia in youth rugby, he was splitting his time between rugby and cricket. Hodge said in 2016: "Around 17 I was playing at state level cricket and rugby and splitting my time between them and it was only really after school when I was picked in the ARU National Academy that I gave up playing grade cricket to focus on rugby with the goal of eventually playing professionally."[9]

Melbourne Rebels

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In August 2015, Hodge (20-years-old) signed to play for the Melbourne Rebels on a two-year deal after impressing with the Manly Marlins in the Shute Shield.[10][11] After Hodge's first season with the Rebels had concluded, it was reported by The Daily Telegraph that Hodge was offered a contract to play for then-French and then-European champions Toulon back in 2014, which Hodge rejected.[12]

Hodge's first season with the Rebels was extraordinary, scoring nine tries in total (equal sixth),[13] the most for the Rebels in 2016, adding eighteen points from the boot as well.[14] Two of Hodge's tries came on debut against the Western Force, with Hodge scoring a total of twenty points.[15][16] Starting at fullback, Hodge found himself at inside centre toward the latter half of the season,[17] and was also deployed at outside centre as well.[18] Upon reflection of Hodge's first season with the Rebels, CEO Baden Stephenson said: "Reece arrived at the Rebels and had an immediate impact, winning the competition’s Rookie of the Year award and becoming part of Michael Cheika's Wallabies squad," "He is a player that goes above and beyond for his club and his teammates. He is a consummate professional and is someone who embodies everything that the Melbourne Rebels stand for."[19]

International career

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Hodge was named in Michael Cheika's Wallabies camp in late May 2016, ahead of the England tour of Australia. He was an injury replacement for Mike Harris.[20] Hodge remained in the squad for the remainder of the series, however he did not make an appearance for the Wallabies.[21]

Hodge made his debut for Australia in the second round (27 August) of the 2016 Rugby Championship against New Zealand at Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington.[22] Coming on as a replacement for Adam Ashley-Cooper at right-wing, Hodge kicked a penalty goal in the thirty-fourth minute. Australia lost 29–9.[23]

Statistics

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Career statistics

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As of 8 June 2024.
Team Competition Season Matches Starts Sub. Min. Tries Con. Pen. Drop. Points Yellow card Yel. Red card Red
Melbourne Rebels Super Rugby 2016 12 11 1 881 9 3 4 0 63 0 0
2017 15 15 0 1,108 4 10 26 0 118 1 0
2018 15 15 0 1,195 6 24 13 0 117 1 0
2019 15 13 2 1,040 7 0 4 0 47 0 0
2020 3 3 0 139 0 1 0 0 2 0 0
2020 AU 9 8 1 656 4 0 2 0 26 0 0
2021 AU 6 6 0 480 1 1 3 0 16 0 0
2021 TT —
2022 12 12 0 857 4 12 7 0 65 2 1
2023 13 13 0 983 2 38 11 0 119 1 0
Melbourne Rebels total 100 96 4 8,339 37 89 70 0 573 5 1
Bayonne Top 14 2023–24 6 4 2 365 2 0 0 0 10 0 0
Total 106 100 6 8,704 39 89 70 0 583 5 1

International tries

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Try Opponent Location Venue Competition Date Result Ref.
1  Wales Cardiff Millennium Stadium 2016 Autumn International 5 November 2016 Win 8–32 [24]
2  Scotland Edinburgh Murrayfield Stadium 12 November 2016 Win 22–23 [25]
3  Italy Brisbane Lang Park 2017 June International 24 June 2017 Win 40–27 [26]
4  Argentina Mendoza Estadio Malvinas Argentinas 2017 Rugby Championship 7 October 2017 Win 20–37 [27]
5
6  New Zealand Brisbane Lang Park 2017 Autumn International 21 October 2017 Win 23–18 [28]
7  New Zealand Auckland Eden Park 2018 Rugby Championship 25 August 2018 Loss 40–12 [29]
8  South Africa Port Elizabeth Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium 29 September 2018 Loss 23–12 [30]
9  Argentina Brisbane Lang Park 2019 Rugby Championship 27 July 2019 Win 16–10 [31]
10  New Zealand Perth Perth Stadium 10 August 2019 Win 47–26 [32]
11
12  Fiji Sapporo Sapporo Dome 2019 Rugby World Cup 21 September 2019 Win 39–21 [33]
13  Argentina Townsville North Queensland Stadium 2021 Rugby Championship 25 September 2021 Win 27–8 [34]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Reece Hodge – ESPN Scrum". espnscrum.com. ESPNscrum.
  2. ^ a b "Reece Hodge – Melbourne Rebels". melbournerebels.rugby. Melbourne Rebels. Archived from the original on 3 March 2020.
  3. ^ "Reece Hodge – LinkedIn". LinkedIn.
  4. ^ Geddes, Jon (20 February 2015). "Hodge ready to rock in 2015 following injury". The Daily Telegraph.
  5. ^ "Hodge to bring up Ton in Friday night blockbuster against the Brumbies". melbournerebels.rugby. Melbourne Rebels. 31 May 2023. Archived from the original on 5 June 2023. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  6. ^ @MelbourneRebels (30 May 2023). "🛡️100 for Hodge Special morning spent with our board members, coaches, players & staff, celebrating Reece Hodge's stellar career & becoming the first Rebel to play 100 Super Rugby matches for our Club this week. We're so proud of you Hodgey & can't wait for Friday night! 👏🏼" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  7. ^ "Harbord Harlequins Rugby Club Annual Report 2016" (PDF). static1.squarespace.com. 2016.
  8. ^ "Australian Schools Team To Tour Fiji and New Zealand, 18th September – 7th October 2012" (PDF). schoolsrugby.com.au.
  9. ^ "Hodge's pursuit of rugby career pays off". SBS News. 26 August 2016.
  10. ^ "Reece Hodge signs with Melbourne Rebels and will add huge kicking to club's arsenal". Herald Sun. 4 August 2015. Archived from the original on 9 July 2016.
  11. ^ Ward, Roy (4 August 2015). "Melbourne Rebels land Reece Hodge from Manly Marlins". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  12. ^ Payten, Iain (23 September 2016). "Reece Hodge turned down megaclub Toulon in 2014 to chase Wallaby dream". The Daily Telegraph.
  13. ^ "2016 Super Rugby – Try Scorers". sarugby.co.za. SA Rugby Magazine. Archived from the original on 9 August 2017.
  14. ^ "2016 Super Rugby – Point Scorers". sarugby.co.za. SA Rugby Magazine. Archived from the original on 30 March 2018.
  15. ^ "Melbourne Rebels beat Western Force 25-19 in Super Rugby opener thanks to new recruit Reece Hodge". ABC News. 27 February 2016.
  16. ^ "Reece Hodge stars on debut for victorious Rebels". en.espn.co.uk. ESPNscrum. 27 February 2016.
  17. ^ Ward, Roy (20 April 2016). "Melbourne Rebels Tamati Ellison awaits baby's birth and Cheetahs game". The Sydney Morning Herald. Sefa Naivalu will move to the wing to replace Shipperley while Jonah Placid has gone to fullback and Reece Hodge into the centres alongside Ellison.
  18. ^ "Garth April showers Highlanders with penalties as Sharks clinch narrow Super Rugby win". South China Morning Post. 22 April 2016. In Melbourne, outside centre Reece Hodge scored a try in each half as the Rebels stormed to a 36–14 win over Cheetahs.
  19. ^ "Rebels to salute history-making Hodge". melbournerebels.rugby. Melbourne Rebels. 26 May 2023.
  20. ^ Newman, Beth (30 May 2016). "Hodge wants to make most of Wallabies whirlwind". rugby.com.au.
  21. ^ Newman, Beth (3 June 2016). "Hodge survives first Wallabies cut". rugby.com.au.
  22. ^ "Dean Mumm and Reece Hodge come into Wallabies team for South Africa Test". Guardian Australia. 8 September 2016. His inclusion is one of just two changes to the team that lost 29–9 to the All Blacks in Wellington, with Reece Hodge also coming in for Adam Ashley-Cooper, who has returned to his club in France. Hodge – who made his Test debut off the bench in that match – will play on the left wing with Dane Haylett-Petty switching over to the right.
  23. ^ "New Zealand – Australia, ESPN". espn.com.au. ESPNscrum.
  24. ^ Williams, Richard (5 November 2016). "Autumn international: Wales 8–32 Australia". BBC Sport.
  25. ^ English, Tom (12 November 2016). "Autumn international: Scotland 22–23 Australia". BBC Sport.
  26. ^ Decent, Tom (24 June 2017). "Wallabies escape almighty scare to beat Italy 40-27 in Brisbane". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  27. ^ "The Rugby Championship: Argentina 20–37 Australia". BBC Sport. 8 October 2017.
  28. ^ Pender, Kieran (21 October 2017). "Australia 23–18 New Zealand: third Bledisloe Cup Test – as it happened". Guardian Australia.
  29. ^ "Record-breaker Beauden Barrett scores four as All Blacks thump Wallabies again". Guardian Australia. 25 August 2018.
  30. ^ Moore, Keith (30 September 2018). "South Africa 23-12 Australia: Springboks beat Wallabies, but All Blacks win title". Sky Sports.
  31. ^ "Wallabies beat Argentina 16–10 in Rugby Championship Test in Brisbane". ABC News. 27 July 2019.
  32. ^ "Wallabies shock All Blacks with 47-26 win". Radio New Zealand. 11 August 2019.
  33. ^ Pentony, Luke (21 September 2019). "Australia's Wallabies open 2019 Rugby World Cup campaign with 'back to basics' win over Fiji".
  34. ^ Howcroft, Jonathan (25 September 2021). "Wallabies continue unbeaten run against Pumas: Rugby Championship 2021 – as it happened". Guardian Australia.
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