Blues lock Scott Scrafton the latest to depart for another Super Rugby franchise

The Hurricanes have strengthened the depth of their forward pack after signing imposing lock Scott Scrafton on a two-year deal from 2020.

The 26-year-old will join the Hurricanes from the Blues until at least the end of the 2021 Investec Super Rugby season.

A former New Zealand Schools and Under-20 representative, Scrafton made his provincial debut for Auckland in 2014 before being named in the Blues for the 2016 season when he made his debut against the Waratahs.

The 2 metre second rower impressed with his development over the next two seasons and looked on track to become a regular fixture in 2018 before a serious knee injury left him sidelined for close to 12 months.

He returned to the starting line-up in May for the Blues and impressed with his performances.

Hurricanes head coach John Plumtree was looking forward to welcoming Scrafton to Wellington later this year.

“He is the sort of player who we think can quickly establish himself in our squad and become someone who fits in to the way we really want to play,” he said.

“Scott has shown he has got a really strong work ethic, he’s a big man with a real presence on the field and he’s obviously a really good lineout option.”

Hurricanes general manager of rugby Ben Castle was also delighted Scrafton had chosen to head south for the next stage of his career.

“Scott has really impressed us with his professionalism and desire to succeed which are two critical assets for us and I’m really confident he will be a valuable addition to the Hurricanes club.”

Scrafton is the second experienced forward that the Hurricanes have signed in recent weeks, with Highlanders prop Tyrel Lomax also relocating to the capital from 2020.

– Hurricanes Rugby