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South Africa, meet Hurricanes’ sensation Ruben Love

If you haven’t heard much about the Hurricanes playmaker, you soon will. Love has emerged as New Zealand’s form flyhalf in 2026

Published

2 hours ago

5th June 2026

Keo

Ruben Love. Hurricanes and All Blacks utility back.

Ruben Love is still relatively unknown to South Africans. By the end of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Tour, that may no longer be the case for the Hurricanes utility back.

The All Blacks play the Springboks in three Tests in South Africa in August and September and a fourth in Baltimore, New Zealand. They also play all four South African United Rugby Championship club teams in the first All Blacks tour to South African since 1996.

The Springboks v All Blacks is Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry.

Richie Mo’unga has returned to New Zealand from Japan until the end of the 2027 Rugby World Cup, but NZ Rugby has declared him ineligible for the tour to South Africa as he must play a domestic game, according to NZ Rugby’s archaic rules on returning players.

In his absence, the talk has become Ruben Love.

Ruben Love Unpacked

The Hurricanes playmaker has gone from being viewed as a gifted utility back to being discussed in New Zealand as a genuine contender for the All Blacks No 10 jersey. More significantly, some influential Kiwi voices are now arguing that he is the form flyhalf in the country and should be selected ahead of veterans Beauden Barrett (130) and Damian McKenzie (75), who between them have played Tests 205 Tests for the All Blacks.

Who is Ruben Love?

Ruben Love is a 25-year-old Wellington product, the son of former Māori All Black Matene Love. Traditionally viewed as a fullback, Love has spent much of the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season at first receiver, where his game management, distribution and running threat have elevated him into the All Blacks conversation. He already has Test experience, having debuted in 2024 and scored two tries against Japan.

The strongest endorsement

Patrick McKendry, writing for New Zealand’s 1News, was unequivocal:

“Ruben Love is currently the best performing No.10 in the country.”

McKendry argued that Love’s performances for the table-topping Hurricanes have put him firmly in contention for the July Tests and suggested he should view himself as the in-form first five-eighth in New Zealand.

That is significant because McKendry is not arguing Love deserves a squad place. He is arguing Love deserves the jersey.

What the New Zealand media are saying

1News (Patrick McKendry)

McKendry believes Love’s balance between running threat and game management has matured dramatically in 2026. He wrote that Love is “finding a balance to his game” which suggests he could become New Zealand’s long-term solution at No 10.

Rugby365

Their assessment was similarly bullish, asking whether the All Blacks had found “their new Beauden Barrett”. The article highlighted Love’s distribution, running game and attacking influence as reasons he has moved ahead of Barrett and McKenzie in the current form discussion.

Planet Rugby

Following the Hurricanes’ win over the Blues, Planet Rugby’s player ratings noted that Love’s performance added “more pressure” on New Zealand selectors. Their assessment was that he effectively outshone Barrett in the direct contest between the Hurricanes and Blues.

ESPN

ESPN was discussing Love’s credentials as early as last year, identifying him as a player with the attributes for a long-term Test career at flyhalf and suggesting he could become a serious challenger to the established order.

Why the debate matters

With Mo’unga in Japan since the 2023 Rugby World Cup final 12-11 defeat to the Springboks, The All Blacks have spent much of the last two seasons rotating between Barrett and McKenzie at No 10.

Barrett remains the elder statesman and McKenzie is the country’s great attacking improviser. But both are now in their thirties, and New Zealand rugby is increasingly looking beyond the next Test cycle toward 2027.

Love offers something different.

He is a natural attacking runner with genuine pace, but he has also shown a growing ability to organise a backline, control territory and make good decisions under pressure. Those are the qualities New Zealand commentators believe separate him from being merely exciting and make him a potential Test flyhalf.

The season that changed perceptions

What has impressed New Zealand observers most is that Love has done this after overcoming injury adversity.

He missed the opening portion of the 2026 campaign with an ankle injury but returned to become one of the key architects of the Hurricanes’ rise to the top of the Super Rugby standings. His performances at No 10 have coincided with the Hurricanes establishing themselves as arguably the best-coached and most complete side in the competition.

Against the Highlanders, Blues and several other playoff contenders, Love has consistently been among the Hurricanes’ most influential players.

What South Africans should know

The obvious comparison is not Dan Carter, whose Test numbers against the Springboks are incomparable.

The comparison Kiwi commentators keep returning to is a young Beauden Barrett.

Like Barrett, Love is most dangerous when he attacks broken-field situations. Like Barrett, he has the acceleration to exploit space before defenders can adjust. And like Barrett in his younger years, he appears capable of playing both fullback and flyhalf at international level.

For Springbok supporters preparing for Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Tour, Love is not yet the All Blacks’ first-choice flyhalf.

But he may be the player generating the most excitement among New Zealand rugby observers.

And if current form counts for anything, Ruben Love is making the most noise.

Love kicked nine conversions and a penalty for the perfect 10 in the Hurricanes 66-12 thrashing of the Brumbies in Super Rugby Pacific’s first quarter-final on Friday. Love’s 21 points was his highest match tally for the season.

Ruben Love in 2025/26

Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images

Tournament	Opponent	Position	Points
Autumn Nations Series R4	Wales	15	5
Super Rugby R5	Western Force	22	0
Super Rugby R6	Highlanders	10	10
Super Rugby R7	Reds	10	12
Super Rugby R9	Blues	10	12
Super Rugby R10	Chiefs	10	2
Super Rugby R11	Brumbies	10	10
Super Rugby R12	Crusaders	10	13
Super Rugby R14	Blues	10	12
Super Rugby R15	Highlanders	10	15
Super Rugby Qualifying Final	Brumbies	10	21
Total	11 Matches	10 (9), 15 (1), 22 (1)	112