Chiefs announce departure of Liam Coombes-Fabling

Liam Coombes-Fabling will finish his time with the Chiefs and move to French Pro D2 club Oyonnax on a two-year deal once he completes the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season.

The hot-stepping outside back has enjoyed the best season of his Super Rugby career with the Chiefs in 2026, starting a career-high 10 games across both wings and fullback, scoring four tries. The 27-year-old had scored four tries in his 16 Super Rugby appearances coming into the season.

One of Waikato’s go-to strike weapons since his 2020 debut for the province, Coombes-Fabling will join the French outfit, located just an hour from Switzerland’s capital of Geneva, fresh off their fourth-place finish in the 2025/26 season.

Oyonnax’s season ended with a 48-7 semi-final defeat to eventual champions Vannes, the only team to possess a more potent attack in the recently concluded season.

Oyonnax sports manager Fabien Cibray said: “Liam is a small player but very fast and very versatile because he can evolve both on the wing and at the back, with very good footwork. At the Chiefs, he is known for his values on and off the field.”

 

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The six-time Highlander has been named to start on the right wing for the Chiefs in this weekend’s semi-final against the Crusaders, having covered the losses of All Blacks teammates Leroy Carter and Emoni Narawa, along with Etene Nanai-Seturo, who is also France-bound, having signed a three-year deal with ASM Clermont Auvergne.

Even with that trio injured for large stretches of the 2026 season, the Chiefs claimed the No.2 seed, with the continued emergence of new recruit Kyren Taumoefolau and breakout performances from Super Rugby rookie Issac Hutchinson leading the way out wide.