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The Netherlands-born lock who is turning heads with All Blacks XV

Fabian Holland of the Highlanders of the Highlanders is pictured before the Super Rugby Pacific Quarter Final match between ACT Brumbies and Highlanders at GIO Stadium, on June 08, 2024, in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images)

Fabian Holland has been riding the crest of a wave since leaving the Netherlands as a teenager to pursue an improbable rugby dream in New Zealand.

The towering lock (204cm, 125kg) grew up, next door to a rugby club in Castricum, a seaside town near Amsterdam.

Further rugby research led him to YouTube, where he became besotted with the All Blacks. That fascination compelled Holland to shift to New Zealand, where he made such a big impression at Christchurch Boys’ High School that he was rushed into the 2019 New Zealand Secondary Schools team.

His ascent since then has been rapid, and last weekend, he was named man of the match in the 38-24 win by the All Blacks XV against Munster at Thomond Park, Limerick.

Holland made a dozen tackles, carried vigorously, and was the central target in a lineout that won 13 of 14 throws.

“I was real keen to get out there and make an impression. Our first game together in the Silver Fern is special. Munster brought a lot of fuel to the fire. I haven’t played in an atmosphere like that but it was awesome. It helps you bring the energy,” Holland told RugbyPass.

“Munster are one of those teams that come together through adversity. They’ve got a lot of leaders and experience. It was a real challenge. We were stocked to get the dub.”

The All Blacks XV made 68 more tackles than Munster who lacked the clinical accuracy of their counterparts.

Holland’s precision has been eye-catching since arriving in New Zealand. His raw talent at a senior level was showcased in his second game for Otago when he scored a 30m try off the bench in a 33-28 win against Wellington in 2021.

In Super Rugby Pacific 2024, he became an indispensable part of the Highlanders starting 12 of 13 matches. In the famous 32-29 win against the Crusaders, the Highlanders first victory in 19 games against New Zealand opposition, Holland made 17 tackles as the Highlanders secured 14 out of 15 lineouts.

In the NPC Holland was imperious in an often mediocre Otago side. In the third round 31-26 victory against the eventual finalists Bay of Plenty he made 21 tackles, ten carries, and helped the lineout win 13 of 14 throws.

From the bench, he scored tries in wins against Tasman (47-31) and Northland (31-28). Otago was the first team to beat then-Ranfurly Shield holder Tasman.

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Holland’s New Zealand journey hasn’t been without blips. A keen surfer he was caught in a rip in Dunedin three years ago and nearly drowned.

“That wasn’t my finest moment,” Holland laughed. “Who told you that?”

“I wasn’t familiar with the conditions and needed help to get out. I’d never come across a rip like that before. I’m grateful for the help to get out.”

Holland is a quick learner something vastly experienced Christchurch Boys’ High School First XV coach Mike Dury discovered. A winner of two Canterbury championships, Dury was startled by the eagerness and intelligence of the big Dutchman.

“When he first arrived he spoke English like Justin Marshall. When I asked him who his favourite player was he replied Jimmy Cowan,” Dury laughed.

“Fabian is a sponge for knowledge, a bright boy from a great family. His father is a chemical engineer and his Mum works in water management. Fabian studies sciences at university. He’s had to work hard at some of the technical aspects of the game, especially getting his body position lower in the tackle but he’s a natural.”

 “Mike. He’s a great man, my Kiwi uncle. I still keep in touch with him for advice.” Holland acclaimed.

Holland played First XV rugby with Crusaders lock Jamie Hannah. His brother Quinten was selected for the New Zealand Schools who completed an unbeaten tour of Australia last year.

He will start off the bench for the All Blacks XV in their last tour match against Georgia in Montpellier France on Monday morning New Zealand time.

The All Blacks beat Georgia at the 2015 Rugby World Cup otherwise New Zealand and Georiga have little history of rivalry.

What do I know about Georgia? Their main sport is wrestling. If you don’t do that you do weightlifting. If you don’t wrestle or lift weights you play rugby,” Kellow observed.

“Georgia is a rising force in the international game. They’ve got nothing to lose and plenty to prove. They’re big men who play physically.”

*Scotland’s Tim Visser was a Tier 1 rugby international born in Holland.

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Comments

10 Comments
D
DA 9 days ago

I hope that you New Zealanders are going to accuse him of taking steroids because of his size like some of you accuse the likes of Eben and RG Strydom

S
Super Sid 11 days ago

The future of our tight forwards is looking great. Lomax, Aumua, De Groot, Taukei'aho, Newell, Williams, Tosi, Numia, Bell, Barrett, Vaai, Darry, Lord, Holland, along with the old heads of Taylor and Tuipulotu will give us scrummaging, lineout and maul power which only Sth Africa will be able to match.

Holland has all the attributes and more to be a fantastic international lock and playing alongside these guys will only bring him up to speed even quicker.

Go the ABs.

J
JWH 11 days ago

Barrett counts as an old head now since he is 30.

S
SC 11 days ago

Holland will be the starting 5 lock by the end of 2025.

T
Toaster 12 days ago

Yes this guy has the real size and engine to make it


Also some skills too as shown against Munster

S
SadersMan 12 days ago

A mini Guzzler already bigger than the maxi Guzzler.

J
JWH 12 days ago

A future AB in the making. Size, skills, brains. Like a young Brodie Retallick. What a star. He will probably take Tuipulotu/Lord's spot next season pending no injuries and a decent SRP season.

d
dk 12 days ago

Plays like a young Etzebeth. And about the same size already. Hopefully a very long career with the ABs ahead of him.

J
Jmann 11 days ago

I reckon we'd prefer a young Retallic if it's all the same...

U
Utiku Old Boy 12 days ago

Great young man. Hope his future is as bright as it looks from here!

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JW 3 hours ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Ok, managed to read the full article..

... New Zealand’s has only 14 and the professional season is all over within four months. In France, club governance is the responsibility of an independent organisation [the Ligue Nationale de Rugby or LNR] which is entirely separate from the host union [the Fédération Française de Rugby or FFR]. Down south New Zealand Rugby runs the provincial and the national game.

That is the National Provincial Championship, a competition of 14 representative union based teams run through the SH international window and only semi professional (paid only during it's running). It is run by NZR and goes for two and a half months.


Super Rugby is a competition involving 12 fully professional teams, of which 5 are of New Zealand eligibility, and another joint administered team of Pacific Island eligibility, with NZR involvement. It was a 18 week competition this year, so involved (randomly chosen I believe) extra return fixtures (2 or 3 home and away derbys), and is run by Super Rugby Pacific's own independent Board (or organisation). The teams may or may not be independently run and owned (note, this does not necessarily mean what you think of as 'privately owned').


LNR was setup by FFR and the French Government to administer the professional game in France. In New Zealand, the Players Association and Super Rugby franchises agreed last month to not setup their own governance structure for professional rugby and re-aligned themselves with New Zealand Rugby. They had been proposing to do something like the English model, I'm not sure how closely that would have been aligned to the French system but it did not sound like it would have French union executive representation on it like the LNR does.

In the shaky isles the professional pyramid tapers to a point with the almighty All Blacks. In France the feeling for country is no more important than the sense of fierce local identity spawned at myriad clubs concentrated in the southwest. Progress is achieved by a nonchalant shrug and the wide sweep of nuanced negotiation, rather than driven from the top by a single intense focus.

Yes, it is pretty much a 'representative' selection system at every level, but these union's are having to fight for their existence against the regime that is NZR, and are currently going through their own battle, just as France has recently as I understand it. A single focus, ala the French game, might not be the best outcome for rugby as a whole.


For pure theatre, it is a wonderful article so far. I prefer 'Ntamack New Zealand 2022' though.

The young Crusader still struggles to solve the puzzle posed by the shorter, more compact tight-heads at this level but he had no problem at all with Colombe.

It was interesting to listen to Manny during an interview on Maul or Nothing, he citied that after a bit of banter with the All Black's he no longer wanted one of their jersey's after the game. One of those talks was an eye to eye chat with Tamaiti Williams, there appear to be nothing between the lock and prop, just a lot of give and take. I thought TW angled in and caused Taylor to pop a few times, and that NZ were lucky to be rewarded.

f you have a forward of 6ft 8ins and 145kg, and he is not at all disturbed by a dysfunctional set-piece, you are in business.

He talked about the clarity of the leadership that helped alleviate any need for anxiety at the predicaments unfolding before him. The same cannot be said for New Zealand when they had 5 minutes left to retrieve a match winning penalty, I don't believe. Did the team in black have much of a plan at any point in the game? I don't really call an autonomous 10 vehicle they had as innovative. I think Razor needs to go back to the dealer and get a new game driver on that one.

Vaa’i is no match for his power on the ground. Even in reverse, Meafou is like a tractor motoring backwards in low gear, trampling all in its path.

Vaa'i actually stops him in his tracks. He gets what could have been a dubious 'tackle' on him?

A high-level offence will often try to identify and exploit big forwards who can be slower to reload, and therefore vulnerable to two quick plays run at them consecutively.

Yes he was just standing on his haunches wasn't he? He mentioned that in the interview, saying that not only did you just get up and back into the line to find the opposition was already set and running at you they also hit harder than anything he'd experienced in the Top 14. He was referring to New Zealands ultra-physical, burst-based Super style of course, which he was more than a bit surprised about. I don't blame him for being caught out.


He still sent the obstruction back to the repair yard though!

What wouldn’t the New Zealand rugby public give to see the likes of Mauvaka and Meafou up front..

Common now Nick, don't go there! Meafou showed his Toulouse shirt and promptly got his citizenship, New Zealand can't have him, surely?!?


As I have said before with these subjects, really enjoy your enthusiasm for their contribution on the field and I'd love to see more of their shapes running out for Vern Cotter and the like styled teams.

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