'I Couldn't Have Done It Without Utah' - Frank Lochore Reflects on his Forward of the Year Campaign
MLR Utah Warriors

'I Couldn't Have Done It Without Utah' - Frank Lochore Reflects on his Forward of the Year Campaign

Published on September 10, 2025 under Major League Rugby (MLR)
Utah Warriors News Release


'I Couldn't Have Done It Without Utah' - Frank Lochore Reflects On His Forward Of The Year Campaign

A record-breaking 2025 saw Utah Warriors' Frank Lochore named Major League Rugby Forward of the Year.

Under his fellow New Zealander, Greg Cooper, the 24-year-old has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the second row.

A dominant campaign saw Lochore named as the competition's top forward. He follows Jero Gomez Vara, Wian Conradie, Brendon O'Connor, Johan Momsen, and Paddy Ryan in gaining this recognition.

He discovered that he had received the end-of-season award on a Wednesday morning in late July, as notifications from social media pinged through to inform him that he was among the top performers in his class for 2025.

"I was pretty stoked," Lochore said. "It's pretty cool recognition to be Forward of the Year in a whole competition like that, with some pretty good footy players.

"I couldn't have done it, obviously, without Utah and how well we went. Not just stoked for myself, but stoked that our team went so well. We just didn't quite get there in the end."

Lochore wrapped up the Forward of the Year Award thanks to a landmark season. The New Zealander played in all 18 of his team's outings in 2025 and led the league with lineout takes and tackles made.

His tally of 303 tackles surpassed the 2024 efforts of Cory Daniel to set a new season record. It means that he made an average of 16.8 tackles per game in a herculean display of defensive aptitude.

Add in those 128 lineout takes that helped the set-piece thrive, and 305 meters made from 118 carries, and it was very much a season to remember.

This followed on from the 24-year-old's All-MLR First XV recognition in his debut North American campaign a year prior.

It was Lochore's proficiency in the pack - along with strong campaigns from Liam Coltman, Joe Mano, Tonga Kofe, Zion Going, Joel Hodgson, and D'Angelo Leuila - that helped the Warriors return to knockout rugby for the first time in four years.

But so far as proficient personal campaigns go, for Lochore, it was more of the same in a squad that had completely bought in.

"My rugby style, the way I play the game, doesn't change much," he smiled. "I know my game pretty solidly now, and I think I just had good support around me in terms of coaches who helped with those minor tweaks, and the player group was unreal.

"We just fizzed off each other. I can't really take too much ownership for how I went. I think the boys going well around me made me look good."

Lochore heavily credits the bond between the Warriors' playing group for their positive campaign. A return to the postseason after four years was impressive in its very nature as the team oozed class to top the Western Conference in the regular season before their Western Conference Final exit to the SaberCats at Zions Bank Stadium.

Even two months on from their 33-19 defeat to the eventual runners-up, Lochore can be found still asking himself, 'what if?'.

"It was absolutely gutting," Lochore said. "That's the immediate thing that comes to mind. That should have really been our year. We really believe that.

"To be fair to Houston, they had our number all year. They were the one team we couldn't beat.

"It was a shame to not make it the whole way, but if you look at the positives we were such a good team. A real good group of boys. Real good camaraderie.

"There was a lot of new boys, a lot of quality internationals with some more quality domestic boys. We gelled really well.

"If you make a good environment, it reflects on the field, and the boys at Utah were definitely willing to go the extra mile for each other. We really loved our time together."

The 2025 MLR season will be Lochore's last for some time.

After two mesmeric seasons in Salt Lake City, the 24-year-old has returned to New Zealand to take part in the Bunnings NPC with Hawke's Bay, before a move to Japan to compete in the country's top division.

With this chapter of his life coming to a close, he is grateful to have made rich memories on and off the field that will last far longer than his playing career.

"It's an awesome place," Lochore said. "To be able to go over there, make some really good mates who will be my best friends for life. It was awesome.

"Goodbyes are always real tough. It's the nature of the beast. With rugby, you make mates all around the world, and the next year they're gone, and you won't see them for a while.

"That day, most of us flew out, and we went out for a coffee to enjoy the last few moments with each other. We'll keep in touch as a group."

Joe Harvey

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