Season, after signing with Kobe Steelers

A deal, though, has yet to be signed and Highlanders chief executive Roger Clark said yesterday the franchise was close to getting pen to paper.

New Zealand Rugby used to have a hard rule where players had to play more than 80 Super Rugby games to be able to go and play in Japan and then return and play Super Rugby. It was put in place to stop a raft of players leaving New Zealand and not playing in the national provincial competition.

But that rule appears to have been relaxed with Highlanders Joe Wheeler and Patrick Osborne heading to Japan in recent years and then returning to play Super Rugby the following seasons.

Crusaders and Tasman loose forward Jordan Taufua will play in Japan this season and hopes to come back and play for the Crusaders next season.

Buckman (28) has a neck injury and is yet to play, although he may be back on the field in a couple of weeks. He had played 42 games for the Highlanders.

Franklin (27) missed only one game last season and has played 59 games for the franchise.

He said the opportunity to play for Kobe was too good to turn down.

The pair are likely to receive more than five times what they would get if they stayed in New Zealand and played for their provinces in the New Zealand domestic competition.