Born: January 19, 1971 – Auckland
Test record: 35 Tests (1992-99, 2002) – 17 tries (68 points)
Tours: 1993 tour of Britain and France, 1994 tour of Papua New Guinea, 1995 World Cup, 1998 tour of Britain, 2002 tour of Britain and France

Sean Hoppe progressed from relative unknown for Northcote Tigers to Canberra Raiders star and international winger in a matter of months, kick-starting a career that garnered a then-record tally of tries in 35 Tests for the Kiwis and a slew of glittering club-level achievements during more than a decade at the top level.

Featuring in Northcote’s victories in the 1989 and 1991 Fox Memorial and Lion Red National knockout competitions, Hoppe’s performance for Auckland in a 1992 pre-season clash with Canberra landed the 21-year-old a contract with the NSWRL premiership heavyweights. He scored four tries in his first five games for the Raiders and was called up by the Kiwis after just 11 first-grade appearances, dotting down on debut against Papua New Guinea and playing both Tests against Great Britain.

A powerhouse on the flank and an intercept specialist, Hoppe’s elite finishing qualities netted two tries in New Zealand’s 14-all draw with Australia in the 1993 series opener in Auckland, while he toured Britain and France at the end of the year after scoring 16 tries for the Raiders.

Hoppe’s decision to sign with the Auckland Warriors for 1995 prompted the Raiders to release him a year early, but he made a stellar 15-try contribution in the bridging season after being snapped up by North Sydney Bears. The Kiwis’ tour of Papua New Guinea at the end of 1994 began a run of 23 consecutive Test appearances for Hoppe.

Dally M Winger of the Year in 1995 after scoring 19 tries for the fledgling Warriors, Hoppe scored tries in both of New Zealand’s 1995 World Cup pool matches and bagged another Test double in the whitewash-sealing defeat of Great Britain at Lancaster Park in 1996.

Hoppe crossed again in the Kiwis’ famous 1998 Anzac Test win over the Kangaroos at North Harbour, while a four-pointer during the series win in Great Britain later that year saw him break Hugh McGahan’s long-standing New Zealand Test record of 16 tries.

Soon after playing in the Kiwis’ gallant 1999 Anzac Test loss in Sydney, Hoppe called time on an 88-game tenure with the Warriors to join St Helens mid-season. Three months later he turned out in the Saints’ Super League grand final win over Bradford, while he won another two grand finals with the club in 2000 and 2002, and a Challenge Cup final in 2001.

Hoppe represented Aotearoa Māori at the 2000 World Cup and captained St Helens against the touring New Zealand side at the end of 2002 in what was slated to be his last match before hanging up the boots with 117 tries from 249 club games in the Australian and British competitions to his name.

But the 32-year-old enjoyed an unexpected Kiwis swansong, solving an injury crisis by lining up in the centres in the third Test against Great Britain and the one-off win over France – a fitting way for one of New Zealand’s champion backs of the era to bow out.

Hoppe was inducted into the NZRL Legends of League in 2024.