Zane Nonggorr

The suggestion that Zane Nonggorr had big shoes to fill should be considered a gross understatement. Not only was the young Queensland tight head prop-forward tagged ‘Baby Thor’ before he had played a single game of Super Rugby, Nonggorr began 2023 with the job to fill the yawning gap left in the Reds’s front row after Taniella Tupou’s 2022 season-ending Achilles injury. To then find himself included in the Wallabies’ first touring squad is a testament to Nonggorr’s determination and effort.

Of Papua New Guinean and Australian heritage, Nonggorr played his first rugby at prop for the Gold Coast Eagles’ U10s. He undertook his secondary education at The Southport School and played three seasons in the 1st XV (2017-19). TSS won the premiership in 2017 and, with Nonggorr as captain, won the 2019 title undefeated. In his final year, Nonggorr represented Australian Schools & U18s - alongside Billy Pollard, Tom Hooper, Josh Flook and Joseph Sualli’i - when they defeated New Zealand Schools for the first time since 2012.

Although, COVID robbed him of the opportunity to play at the 2020 U20s Junior World Championships, the blow was softened somewhat by his addition to the main Reds’ squad after the initial pandemic-driven break from Super Rugby. Nonggorr went on to make his Queensland debut, from the bench, in the 12-45 away loss to the Waratahs at the SCG. Unfortunately, his 2022 season was cut short when he suffered a medial collateral ligament injury in the away win over the Rebels however Nonggorr returned to shine on Queensland’s late season tour of Japan.

At the start of 2023, Nonggorr set himself the goal of securing a starting XV position for the Reds in the Super Rugby Pacific competition. A little over six months later he now stands on the cusp of a first Wallaby Test cap.

Highlights

2018

Represented Australian Schools & U18s against New Zealand (W 18-14) and Fiji Schools (W 39-7)