The Maniototo got its turn to celebrate the All Blacks' Rugby World Cup win yesterday, when local boy Andrew Hore was welcomed home.
About 150 people turned out at the Maniototo Rugby Club rooms in Ranfurly to greet Hore and celebrate his part in the win.
Hore (33) said the celebrations around the country were incredible but it was special coming back to where he grew up.
"It's pretty humbling to come back to your home town and see all this support," he said.
Next year, he will return to Otago to join the Highlanders, after playing for the Hurricanes for the past 10 seasons.
"Hopefully, Jamie Joseph will let me play for a few more years, and I can be around home a bit more."
Hore told the crowd that before the final, he was more nervous than he was when he played cricket. "And anyone who knows me knows I get pretty nervous." Maniototo Rugby Club president Paul Dougherty said it was great to see so many people turn out to celebrate a special guy.
He said that even though Hore knew the World Cup final would be the most important game of his life, he still came back and played for the club during the season.
The club presented Hore with a Maniototo jersey embroidered with the words "Maggot Champion, World Cup 2011, Andrew Hore". The Maniototo rugby team is named the Maggots.
Central Otago Mayor Tony Lepper gave Hore a letter of congratulations from the people of Central Otago. He had brought a lot of smiles to the faces of people there, Mr Lepper said.
Children read out poems about Hore, including "Andrew Hore is a gritty All Black, he always relies on his forward pack".
Hore does not have much of a break; next week, he will be helping his brother and father on the family farm near Patearoa.
