Highlanders 2026

frugby

@jimmyb said in Highlanders 2026:

Are we completely injury free leading up to pre season or have any players been confirmed to miss a few rounds/season?

Jim is a couple of weeks away, I imagine Te Hiwi and Ma’u won’t be ready till after Christmas

Renton is out till the back end of January

handa457

Given there's a few blokes away, any known ring ins outside of the Wider Training Group?

Nogusta

@frugby said in Highlanders 2026:

@jimmyb said in Highlanders 2026:

Are we completely injury free leading up to pre season or have any players been confirmed to miss a few rounds/season?

Jim is a couple of weeks away, I imagine Te Hiwi and Ma’u won’t be ready till after Christmas

Renton is out till the back end of January

I think Tavatavanawai has just had or is about to have surgery on his knee?

Kiwiwomble

@Nogusta really? any idea why its taken so long?

Gunner

Those jerseys are fucking awesome.

Why has it taken these super rugby teams so long to realise that less is more when it comes to jersey design?

Yeetyaah

@Gunner last year's home and away were literally blank jerseys with logos but they were meh. The collar and throwback design is what makes them goated.

frugby

@Nogusta Hadn’t heard that. Will enquire.

SouthernMann

Enjoy this honesty from Lucas Casey in his Highlanders bio. No interest in the Blues

https://thehighlanders.co.nz/our-teams/highlanders-super-rugby/lucas-casey/

What does representing the Highlanders mean?

It's my childhood dream to play professional rugby. Despite being from Northland/Blues I have never really supported them. Playing Highlanders U20s built a massive love for the region and team.

Few hopes and questions for the season.

Finn Hurley becomes a dominant no 23.

I think the wee fella has great potential to be a lethal 30 minute man. Really injecting his pace and acceleration at the back end of games. Bring him on and have two roaming wing/fullbacks with him and JRK on the field.

Which one out of stanley Solomon and Tito-Harris take Nareki's wing when he gets injured.

Nareki will be a first string winger. Pesamistically, he will likely get injured at some point. Both are bloody talented. Solomon probably has similar skills interms of kicking and allround game. Tito-Harris more likely to spell Tangitau.

Who the heck will play no8?

Shrug. Who knows. The players picked in the other two spots will probbaly determine the skills required out of the 8 on a week to week basis.

How early will we see Lucas Casey?

Lots of attrition in the loosies and locks. I reckon he will pop up in the early rounds.

The balance of halfbacks. Who gets 9 and 21.

Really lucky to have Fakatava playing some of the best rugby in his career. As well as the kid wonder. Commonsense says they will share the starting spot. Although we have seen how much Cam Millar benefited from having Pledger inside him.

frugby

Have enquired r.e a knee surgery for Tavatavanawai but nobody seems to know of it. I guess it is possible, he is getting some stuff tidied up over Christmas, but nothing to suggest it will be longer-term.

Duluth

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360902187/how-all-blacks-sevens-veteran-andrew-knewstubb-got-super-rugby-lifeline-highlanders

Bovidae

An impressive bronco time from Knewstubb. Sevens fitness.

SouthernMann

Official Highlanders bronco times.

Top two. As expected Andrew Knewstubb 4.20 and Dylan Pledger 4.24. Weather looked a bit shit. Those two would probably go a fair bit quicker on a nicer day.

SouthernMann

Looking at Tai Cribb's profile details. I'm hoping they got his height a bit wrong. Surely he isn't a 6'2 lock weighing less than most of our backs. He can't be that badly undersized.

https://thehighlanders.co.nz/our-teams/highlanders-super-rugby/tai-cribb/