Hugh Joseph McGahan is a New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer, and coach who represented New Zealand. He retired as the New Zealand national team's all-time top try scorer, with 16. Since retirement McGahan has worked as a rugby league newspaper columnist and a football manager.

Educated at St Peter's College, Auckland, the tall Maori backrower of Ngai Tuhoe descent was an Otahuhu Leopards junior and played in the Auckland Rugby League competition under coach Graham Lowe. He later moved to Sydney to play for Australian club Eastern suburbs from 1985. In 1987 the Roosters captain was named the Dally M backrower of the year. The following year McGahan was co-recipient of the Adidas Golden Boot Award with Peter Sterling. The award is given to the player judged to be the best international footballer of the year. As of 2013 McGahan is the only second row forward, and one of only two forwards (Melbourne Storm Hooker Cameron Smith in 2007 being the other), to have won the Golden Boot.

In his final season with the Roosters, McGahan took over as captain-coach following the dismissal of Russell Fairfax. He played in over 100 matches for the club from 1985 until his retirement at the end of the 1991 season. In 1987 McGahan scored a spectacular try in the Winfield Cup preliminary final, leaping high running thfough to snatch the ball over the line from Canberra's Gary Belcher. Following his retirement from the club, McGahn was a director of both East's the leagues and football club.

McGahan represented New Zealand in 53 tests. He was the captain in 17 of those test matches. He once scored 6 tries in a test match against Papua New Guinea. He toured the United Kingdom in 1983 with the New Zealand Maori side. He led NZ to a shock win over Australia in 1987’s only Test match. HUGHIE McGahan's final Test appearance was the match against Australia in 1990 to mark NZ's 150th Anniversary. Alongside Mark Graham, McGahan was the class of any Australian or English back-rower of the era. He retired from the game at the end of the 1991 season.

In the 1991 New Year Honours, McGahan was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire, for services to rugby league. In 1990, he served as caretaker coach of the Eastern Suburbs Roosters. In 1995 he was one of the initial inductees of the NZRL's Legends of League.