Rugby-Highlanders lose All Blacks lock Holland for Super Rugby season


Rugby Union - Rugby Championship - Argentina v New Zealand - Jose Amalfitani Stadium, Buenos Aires, Argentina - August 23, 2025 New Zealand's Fabian Holland in action with Argentina's Pedro Rubiolo. REUTERS/Pedro Lazaro Fernandez

MELBOURNE, Feb ⁠12 (Reuters) - New Zealand lock ⁠Fabian Holland has been ‌ruled out of the Super Rugby season and the inaugural Nations ​Championship tests against France, ⁠Italy and ⁠Ireland after dislocating his shoulder in ⁠last ‌week's pre-season win over Moana Pasifika.

"He ⁠will have surgery next week ​and ‌is expected to return in ⁠time ​to be available for selection for the All Blacks ⁠tour (of South Africa) in ​August," the Highlanders said in a statement.

Netherlands-born Holland was named ⁠World Rugby's Breakthrough Player of the Year in 2025 after making his All ​Blacks debut ⁠against France and earning 12 ​test caps in ‌the season.

(Reporting by ​Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

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