Kiwi back row Tom Florence played in Major League Rugby during the 2023 season. He joined the NOLA Gold on a 2yr contract for the 2023 & 2024 seasons.

The New Plymouth native has played in Super Rugby for the Chiefs, Highlanders, and Hurricanes, as well as the Taranaki Bulls since 2017. He quickly established himself as a strong tackler and fearsome ball carrier, scoring 5 tries in 11 games for the Gold during his debut MLR season. He was named as NOLA’s 2023 Golden Hammer award recipient.

Florence was included on the Taranaki Bulls roster for their 2023 NPC season, and was included in the Chiefs squad for their 2024 Super Rugby campaign, ruling him out of the 2nd year of his MLR contract with the Gold. However, on 10th June 2024 the Gold announced the retrun of Florence for the remaining 3 games of the regular season and through the playoffs.

His NPC side, Taranaki, released Florence from his contract early so that he could pursue a contract in Japan for the 2024/25 season.

Achievements:

• 2023 NOLA Gold Golden Hammer Award
• MLR Team of the Week: 2023 – Week 18
• MLR Team of the Week: 2023 – Week 7