Manawatū Turbos loose forward Johnny Galloway recently announced his retirement from rugby.

Galloway made his Turbos debut in the 2019 season opener against Hawke's Bay and went on to play 40 games for the province. He scored five tries for the Turbos, including a memorable one against  Auckland in 2022 where he showed incredible pace on the outside. 

Galloway joined the Manawatū Rugby Academy out of Palmerston North Boys’ High School in 2013. After a few years of local club rugby, he moved to Hamilton then Auckland, but a call from then Turbos coach Jeremy Cotter lured him back to the Manawatū.

“I had kind of given up on my dream of playing for Manawatū, then Jeremy Cotter gave me a call and asked me to come back. All I had ever wanted was to get on the field once for Manawatū to prove to myself that I can do it, so for it to turn into 40 games is something I will always be grateful for,” says Galloway.

Galloway says his family sacrificed a lot for him over his rugby career, so wanting to spend more time with them was the key reason for his retirement.

“I’ve got a young boy at home and the time I spend at training for club rugby and then the Turbos means I don’t get to see him a lot. I was only planning to play one more season, but the more I thought about it, the more I realised I was comfortable with what I had done in the game.”

Galloway’s favourite moment in green in white was beating Auckland at Eden Park last year, followed by beating Canterbury in Christchurch in Nick Crosswell’s 100th game.

Turbos Coach Mike Rogers thanked Galloway for his commitment to Manawatu Rugby and in particular his time in the Turbos.

"Johnny is a well-respected member of our team, always gives 110 percent, and wears his heart on his sleeve. Johnny is going to be sorely missed but we understand and respect his decision to hang up the boots. What a story he will have to tell his grandkids one day that he captained the Turbos to a famous victory over Auckland at Eden Park in 2023."

Galloway says he is grateful to those fans who keep coming to the Turbos games year after year and the sponsors who have supported the team.

Article added: Wednesday 07 February 2024