Dermody begins era with double signing
New Highlanders wing Jonah Lowe says the ‘‘security’’ of a three-year deal in Dunedin played a major part in his decision to move from the Chiefs.
The Highlanders announced yesterday that Lowe, 26, and young Otago lock Fabian Holland had both signed until 2025 as the southerners try to rebuild from a poor Super Rugby Pacific season.
After the signings were announced, Lowe – who is yet to speak to new Highlanders coach Clarke Dermody – said the move had been in the works since the latter part of the Super Rugby season.
‘‘It was probably a month ago, they got a hold of my agent and my agent pretty much got hold of me and said that the Landers were offering three years,’’ he said. ‘‘I couldn’t turn it down.
‘‘It was a good deal with a lot of security.
‘‘They haven’t gone too great lately but I’m keen to go down south. They play an exciting brand of rugby. I’m excited to join the team and play some running rugby with them.’’
The Highlanders’ No 14 jersey has been an issue since Waisake Naholo left in 2019, but Lowe will offer a ready-made solution. The Hawke’s Bay wing is a proven performer at Super Rugby level and was a frontrunner to start for the Mā ori All Blacks against Ireland until injury struck.
‘‘I tore my hamstring in the semifinal against the Crusaders,’’ he said. ‘‘At the moment I’m just rehabbing and they reckon about
six weeks.
‘‘I should be back for round 1 of Bunnings [NPC].’’
The Highlanders have used a cast of thousands in the No 14 jersey in recent years, with Sio Tomkinson, Denny Solomona, Freedom Vahaakolo, Fetuli Paea, Sam Gilbert, Ngatungane Punivai, Liam Coombes-Fabling and Mosese Dawai all tried in 2022.
The majority of those players – plus Solomon Alaimalo – will not
return next season and Lowe’s recruitment signals he will be given every chance to nail down a spot on right edge, with Jona Nareki on the other flank.
It is understood that Nareki, who is returning from an ACL injury, will play a full part in Otago’s NPC campaign.
Up front, Holland becomes the third player to graduate from the Highlanders’ high performance programme.
Holland’s rise has been well documented and he was recently selected for the New Zealand under-20s side for a second year in a row.
The 19-year-old made his Highlanders debut this year before playing a big role in their successful under-20s campaign in Taupō in May, and will bolster the locking stocks with veteran Bryn Evans not returning in 2023.
The Highlanders admitted they had initially targeted Holland as a 2024 signing, but said his progress was too good to ignore.
‘‘Virtually every development target he’s been set has been achieved well before we anticipated,’’ Dermody said.
‘‘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.’’
Highlanders chief executive Roger Clark said on Tuesday that they were ‘‘probably about six positions off nailing our roster for next year’’, and hinted that a rising No 10 such as Gore product Cameron Millar could be part of the mix.
‘‘I think we all know that there’s a group of young No 10s that need to be staged, and we’re working through the process now of what that the timing will look like,’’ he said. ‘‘If we want to retain them, and we do, then we’ve got to make sure that there’s opportunity for them.’’
The Highlanders have three spots to fill to complete their coaching group for 2023, with announcements expected within the next two weeks.