23 Facts About Mark Hammett

Mark Garry 'Hammer' Hammett was born on 13 July 1972 and is a New Zealand rugby union coach and former player.

Mark Hammett is currently on the assistant coach of the Highlanders in Super Rugby and the Tasman Makos in the Mitre 10 Cup.

Mark Hammett first represented New Zealand, while he was a pupil at St Thomas of Canterbury College, when selected for the New Zealand Under 17 team in 1989.

Mark Hammett then captained the Under 19 team in 1991, before making his first appearance for Canterbury in 1992.

Mark Hammett became a founding member of the side, which struggled in the inaugural Super 12, finishing in last place.

Mark Hammett started regularly for both Canterbury, and the Crusaders in 1998, with the latter he won his first Super 12 title.

Mark Hammett was rewarded with a New Zealand trial, where he captained his team.

Mark Hammett was selected for New Zealand A and played against Tonga.

Mark Hammett eventually played in the 1999 Tri Nations Series, and was selected for the 1999 Rugby World Cup.

Mark Hammett was then selected for the end-of-year All Blacks tour, and played against France and Italy.

Mark Hammett missed the entire NPC campaign due to injury: an ankle problem which required surgery and causes him to miss the 2001 end-of-year All Black tour.

Mark Hammett again played for the All Blacks in 2002, starting against Australia and South Africa in the Tri-Nations.

Mark Hammett was again chosen for the All Blacks, and eventually played in the 2003 Rugby World Cup.

The All Blacks call-up made Mark Hammett reconsider his retirement plans.

Mark Hammett planned to continue playing after 2003, however a neck injury during the 2004 pre-season ended his playing career.

Two years after his playing career ended with the Crusaders, Mark Hammett was back with the Crusaders, working as a forwards coaching adviser for the 2006 Super 14 season.

Mark Hammett went on to fulfill the same role for Canterbury in the 2006 Air New Zealand Cup.

Mark Hammett was later appointed as the new Crusaders assistant coach in November 2006 as a replacement for Vern Cotter who departed to France.

Mark Hammett remained as assistant coach from 2007 to 2010, and was not appointed as Crusaders' head coach when Robbie Deans left to coach Australia in 2008; Todd Blackadder was given the head coach role instead.

On 18 May 2014, Mark Hammett was named Director of Rugby for Wales-based team Cardiff Blues, working alongside Dale McIntosh and Paul John.

The Mark Hammett era was a slow start, losing both the pre-season friendlies.

In March 2016, Mark Hammett was named as the caretaker coach for the Japanese national team, while Jamie Joseph closes out his contract with the Highlanders.

Mark Hammett was assistant coach for the Highlanders under the Head coach Aaron Mauger.