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HERRIMAN — Michael Manson's impact in his lone season with the Utah Warriors couldn't have been much greater, earning the native New Zealander and Major League Rugby's top try scorer a return to his home country.
The 23-year-old wing emerged last year as one of the most exciting players in North America, scoring 14 tries and ranking No. 1 in the league in meters gained despite playing in just 12 matches. He's just the fourth player in the eighth-year league's history to score four or more tries in a single game, and set a single-season try scoring record for both the Warriors and MLR en route to 70 points that included a pair of tries in the season finale against Los Angeles.
That earned Manson a move to Otago Highlanders for the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season, the 30-year-old competition between the top teams in New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and the Pacific Island nations. The native of Invercargill, New Zealand, started his professional career with Otago in 2021 before totaling 60 points in 17 appearances with Southland in 2022 that earned him a contract in the United States.
Manson initially committed to return to Utah for another season, citing the Warriors' fanbase that routinely filled the 5,000-seat Zions Bank Stadium as key to his decision. But an opportunity like the one his home country represented — with higher competition, bigger salaries and increased exposure — was too much to pass up for the fan favorite.
"From the moment I joined the Warriors, they made it feel like family. The way the fans embraced the team made it truly special," Manson said Wednesday. "I was so lucky to call Utah home. I'll never forget our home games at Zions Bank Stadium.
"While I'm excited for my new chapter with the Highlanders, I will never forget my time with the Warriors," he added. "They played a big part in shaping me as a player and a person. I'll always be cheering for the Warriors."
Manson was embraced for his speed and nose for the try line on the pitch, but also his affable nature in the locker room, head coach Greg Cooper said.
"Michael's contribution to the last season was significant. He delivered on his reputation as a try scoring machine and in doing so, entertained the Warriors fans with his extreme speed," Cooper said. "We are delighted for him to be selected for the Highlanders super rugby team in New Zealand and we wish him every success in the future."
The Warriors, who are in the third week of training camp ahead of the Feb. 23 season opener at Chicago, quickly shifted their offseason focus to add offensive players in the backfield to fill Manson's large shoes. Among the new signings is Blake Makiri, a 22-year-old wing from New Zealand who scored six tries in 16 matches with nine starts the past two years with Counties Manukau in the National Provincial Championship.
"I am delighted that we have a player of Blake's quality in our team for 2025. He is a young man on the rise in New Zealand rugby. A player with speed, skills and a high workrate," Cooper said of Makiri. "His character as a person and his commitment to be the best he can be will allow him to fit seamlessly into the team we are building this year."
Utah also brought back former top try scorer Joe Mano, who dotted it down 14 times for the Warriors in 2023 that tied for the top mark in the U.S. league. Mano scored a hat trick in his USA debut, becoming the first men's Eagle in the national team's professional era to score three tries the Americans' test match against Brazil in 2023. Herriman native Sione Mahe also returns at fullback after missing most of the 2024 season due to injury, as well as center Spencer Jones to add to the attack.
