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Highlanders lose All Blacks prop Tyrel Lomax to Super Rugby rivals

Tyrel Lomax. (Photo by Dianne Manson/Getty Images)

The Highlanders have lost All Blacks prop Tyrel Lomax to the Hurricanes, according to a report from Stuff.

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The one-test international made his debut for New Zealand last year against Japan in Tokyo, and has been in strong form for the Highlanders in his second year for the franchise since joining from the Rebels at the end of 2017.

However, Lomax’s partner has accepted a job offer in Wellington, meaning the 22-year-old will follow her to the capital, thus bringing his two-year stint in Dunedin to an end.

Lomax has strong ties to Wellington, as he was raised and played rugby league there after being born in Canberra to former Kiwis rugby league captain John Lomax.

As a teenager, he went back to the Australian capital where he pursued a rugby union career, which led him to represent Australia U20s in 2015 and 2016 while also being named in an extended 48-man Wallabies squad by Michael Cheika in 2017, but New Zealand Rugby lured him back across the ditch later that year to play for the Highlanders and Tasman in the Mitre 10 Cup.

Lomax becomes one of many high-profile players to exit the Highlanders, leaving them severely undermanned ahead of the 2020 Super Rugby campaign.

Fellow All Blacks Ben Smith (Pau), Waisake Naholo (London Irish), Liam Squire (NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes), Jackson Hemopo (Mitsubishi DynaBoars) and Luke Whitelock (Pau) have all confirmed their departures, while experienced utility back Matt Faddes (Ulster) is also heading to Europe.

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It is also believed three-test All Black Elliot Dixon will be cashing in on the two-seasons-in-one concept in the Japanese Top League next year alongside Highlanders teammates Marty Banks, Richard Buckman and Tom Franklin, despite having signed a contract with the Highlanders last year that would have seen him play Super Rugby in 2020.

News of Lomax’s exit comes a day after the Highlanders announced the return of former star first-five, assistant and head coach Tony Brown from the Sunwolves and Japanese national side in a yet-to-be-determined coaching role.

Highlanders CEO Roger Clark indicated both yesterday during the announcement of Brown’s signing and today to Stuff that the announcements of new player signings for next year would be made in the coming weeks, with many believed to be players from the New Zealand U20 and All Blacks Sevens sides, including youngsters Jona Nareki and Scott Gregory.

In other news:

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J
JW 1 hour ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Where? I remember saying "unders"? The LNR was formed by the FFR, if I said that in a way that meant the 'pro' side of the game didn't have an equal representation/say as the 'amateur' side (FFR remit) that was not my intent.


But also, as it is the governing body, it also has more responsibility. As long as WR looks at FFR as the running body for rugby in France, that 'power' will remain. If the LNR refuses to govern their clubs use of players to enable a request by FFR (from WR) to ensure it's players are able to compete in International rugby takes place they will simply remove their participation. If the players complain to the France's body, either of their health and safety concerns (through playing too many 'minutes' etc) or that they are not allowed to be part in matches of national interest, my understanding is action can be taken against the LNR like it could be any other body/business. I see where you're coming from now re EPCR and the shake up they gave it, yes, that wasn't meant to be a separate statement to say that FFR can threaten them with EPCR expulsion by itself, simply that it would be a strong repercussion for those teams to be removed (no one would want them after the above).


You keep bringing up these other things I cannot understand why. Again, do you think if the LNR were not acting responsibly they would be able to get away with whatever they want (the attitude of these posters saying "they pay the players")? You may deem what theyre doing currently as being irresponsible but most do not. Countries like New Zealand have not even complained about it because they've never had it different, never got things like windfall TV contracts from France, so they can't complain because theyre not missing out on anything. Sure, if the French kept doing things like withholding million dollar game payments, or causing millions of dollars of devaluation in rights, they these things I'm outlining would be taking place. That's not the case currently however, no one here really cares what the French do. It's upto them to sort themselves out if they're not happy. Now, that said, if they did make it obvious to World Rugby that they were never going to send the French side away (like they possibly did stating their intent to exclude 20 targeted players) in July, well then they would simply be given XV fixtures against tier 2 sides during that window and the FFR would need to do things like the 50/50 revenue split to get big teams visiting in Nov.

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