Highlanders 2026
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@frugby said in Highlanders 2026:
This saga might just be getting started… has the potential to be the highest profile Super Rugby move in NZ history…
Not sure I can remember anything like this before?
Richie Mo to the Chiefs, DMac to the Hurricanes, Riley Higgins to the Wallabies.
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@Wurzel As you say though, there was no real saga with those moves, they just happened at the end of the contract with all parties on reasonable terms.
As I understand it, this is way closer to what we see in the NRL, and from an entertainment perspective that is awesome.
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@Mr-Fish said in Highlanders 2026:
@frugby said in Highlanders 2026:
This saga might just be getting started… has the potential to be the highest profile Super Rugby move in NZ history…
Not sure I can remember anything like this before?
Richie Mo to the Chiefs, DMac to the Hurricanes, Riley Higgins to the Wallabies.
I haven't heard of any of these sagas.
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@Yeetyaah said in Highlanders 2026:
I find the "limited opportunities" a bit interesting seeing as he had 18 appearances for the Chiefs in the 2025 season, 7 of those were starts. JJ quoted that he's had 9 starts, but he was also an injury replacement player in 2024 hard to really pick from that season.
Again I'm baffled as to why he signed with the Chiefs in the first place, did he really think he would usurp McKenzie long term? I guess he wasn't expecting a Dmac long term commitment.
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Article quoting Jacomb's agent. Saying they are seeking an immediate release
Quote from the story
*But Jacomb’s agent, Ben Boyle from Orbit Sports Management, told The Post that he remained hopeful of negotiating a release for the No 10 to join the Highlanders from 2026 onwards.
In response to a list of emailed questions from The Post, Boyle acknowledged the Chiefs have “invested significantly in Josh’s development, and it’s understandable that they would want to retain a player of his calibre”, but noted that Jacomb was keen to lead a Super Rugby backline in 2026 to boost his All Blacks aspirations.
“Josh has made it clear that he sees his long-term future with the Highlanders, and ideally, he would like to make that move in 2026 rather than wait until 2027,” Boyle said in a statement*
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@Bovidae said in Highlanders 2026:
All the talk is coming from only two of the three parties. We've heard nothing from the Chiefs, and as I said they won't let Jacomb go without a suitable replacement, which will impact another SR team, as that player will also be under contract.
I think with all this noise the Chiefs are going to be forced into action. Why would you want a player who has publicly stated his desire to leave, has signed elsewhere, and is not even first choice?
I am quite hopeful the media may go and ask some questions at Chiefs HQ to stir the pot to see what they say.
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@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2026:
Josh has made it clear that he sees his long-term future with the Highlanders
PR chat, if he saw his long term future there he would have signed for 5 years surely
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@Yeetyaah said in Highlanders 2026:
@frugby said in Highlanders 2026:
Why would you want a player who has publicly stated his desire to leave, has signed elsewhere, and is not even first choice?
Probably to play hard ball and prove a point.
You'd hope that they would actually make a decision in the best interests of their team rather than be petty.
Why invest further in Jacomb when you know you need to develop someone else? -
@Yeetyaah said in Highlanders 2026:
@reprobate holy heckas we're going around in circles. There is no one suitable. The "best interests of their team" would be to have a suitable back up to DMac and Jacomb is the closest to that.
For sure keeping him is in the best interests of the team for 2026, but it isn't in their best interests for 2027 onwards.
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@Yeetyaah said in Highlanders 2026:
@reprobate holy heckas we're going around in circles. There is no one suitable. The "best interests of their team" would be to have a suitable back up to DMac and Jacomb is the closest to that.
I think the point is that, Jacomb doesn’t want to be there - so is he the best option?
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@ploughboy I could be entirely incorrect, but the way I read this, the Highlanders and Jacomb (through his agent) have gone public in an attempt to force the Chiefs arm.
I don’t know exactly when he signed on the line for 2027, but the Highlanders and Chuefs have been negotiating for months.
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Interesting that almost all player contract negotiations are kept confidential and historically it was seen as important for players to honor contracts they signed.
All protocols and common sense seem to be lost here as some parties try to play this out in public to influence public opinion. I am not impressed.
The Post
