Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Highlanders sign Chiefs winger and extend young lock for 2023 and beyond

(Photo by Joe Allison/Getty Images)

Only a few days after being appointed as Highlanders head coach, Clarke Dermody is already adding to his 2023 squad.

ADVERTISEMENT

Announcing today a mix of youth and experience with the inclusion of Chiefs winger, Jonah Lowe and young Dutch lock, Fabian Holland.

Lowe has signed a three-year agreement to relocate from the Hamilton-based Chiefs to the southernmost Super Rugby Club. 26-year-old Lowe had a standout season and showed his try scoring prowess against the Waratahs during the Melbourne Super Round where he picked up 20-points on his own.

Video Spacer

Aotearoa Rugby Pod | Episode 18

Video Spacer

Aotearoa Rugby Pod | Episode 18

Sharing his name with another powerful winger, Jonah Lomu, Lowe stands at 1.84m and weighs in at 92kg. He brings a physical approach to the game and can play centre or wing.

He made his first-class debut for Hawkes Bay in 2015 in his first year out of school and was the Magpies Back of the Year in 2016. In 2017 he played against the British & Irish Lions for the NZ Provincial Barbarians and made his debut Super Rugby appearance for the Hurricanes the following year.

In 2020 he was selected for the NZ M?ori All Blacks and in 2021 moved to the Chiefs seeking more playing time. He has been a regular starter for the Chiefs and has clocked up 18 caps over the last two seasons.

Coach Dermody likes the power and skill of Lowe’s game:

“What I like most about Jonah is the combination of pace and power that he possesses, and they are two great assets for any winger.

ADVERTISEMENT

“He will strengthen our outsides and in combination with our other Jona (Nareki) will give us some more strike force out wide. I also like his work ethic, he’s a busy player that works hard with and without the ball.”

Lowe is delighted to be making the move South:

“I have to say I’m looking forward to it and I am very grateful for the opportunity to play for the Highlanders and to play some exciting footy under the roof. Playing in front of the Zoo for the home side will also be a thrill.”

Holland to the Highlanders – is not only a headline, but also the description of the journey young Otago lock Fabian Holland has taken to get to the Highlanders.

Since the age 5 Holland has enjoyed rugby, so much so, that in 2019 he left his family and friends in the Netherlands as a 16-year-old and travelled to the other side of the world.

ADVERTISEMENT

Holland landed in Christchurch and had initially planned the trip as six-month rugby immersion experience to learn as much as he could about the game, he was so passionate about.

Fast forward 3 years and it would seem he has learned plenty. During that time, he has played for the prestigious Christchurch Boys High School 1st XV, the NZ U20 team, Otago NPC team, and received two caps for the Highlanders in 2022 as an injury replacement.

A meteoric rise by anyone’s standards but when you consider he has achieved it all away from his family support network and with English as a second language – it’s a truly remarkable story.

Initially the Highlanders had planned on Holland being involved in 2024 but his development has been so rapid his talent could not be ignored.

It’s his passion for the game and desire to improve that caught the attention of Clark Dermody:

“We all saw Fabian’s physical attribute, at 6’8 they are hard to ignore, but when you really get to know Fabian, you understand that he has a genuine love of the game and of our club. It’s very impressive to see that in a man of his age.”

Related

Dermody acknowledged this young lock still has a way to go but has been impressed by his development so far:

“Virtually every development target he’s been set has been achieved well before we anticipated. When he played for Otago last year, we were interested in how he would manage – no problem, the same when he got an opportunity with us this season, he handled it well both physically and mentally. We’re obviously excited about where he could get to with further time to develop over the next few years.” said Dermody.

Holland who is currently assembled with the NZ U20 team prior to their Oceania Rugby U20 Championship was typically passionate in response to his selection.

To become a Highlander means everything to me, a little kid’s dream that has become a reality. I love this club and the people of the region and can’t wait to get started. I am looking forward to the years ahead.”

-Press Release/Highlanders

ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

F
Flankly 2 hours ago
'Absolute madness': Clive Woodward rips into Borthwick in wake of NZ loss

Borthwick is supposed to be the archetypical conservative coach, the guy that might not deliver a sparkling, high-risk attacking style, but whose teams execute the basics flawlessly. And that's OK, because it can be really hard to beat teams that are rock solid and consistent in the rugby equivalent of "blocking and tackling".


But this is why the performance against NZ is hard to defend. You can forgive a conservative, back-to-basics team for failing to score tons of tries, because teams like that make up for it with reliability in the simple things. They can defend well, apply territorial pressure, win the set piece battles, and take their scoring chances with metronomic goal kicking, maul tries and pick-and-go goal line attacks.


The reason why the English rugby administrators should be on high alert is not that the English team looked unable to score tries, but that they were repeatedly unable to close out a game by executing basic, coachable skills. Regardless of how they got to the point of being in control of their destiny, they did get to that point. All that was needed was to be world class at things that require more training than talent. But that training was apparently missing, and the finger has to point at the coach.


Borthwick has been in the job for nearly two years, a period that includes two 6N programs and an RWC campaign. So where are the solid foundations that he has been building?

4 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING Rugby fugitive Rocky Elsom in hiding after fleeing Ireland Rugby fugitive Rocky Elsom in hiding after fleeing Ireland
Search