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Report: Fabian Holland's Highlanders season could be over
By Ned Lester
World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year Fabian Holland could miss the entire 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season with a shoulder injury.
The lock lasted just 10 minutes in his 2026 preseason debut over the weekend, reeling out of a breakdown contest and cradling his arm as he left the field in Queenstown.
The Highlanders announced on Monday that the injury was a dislocated shoulder, with further assessment underway to determine the severity of the dislocation and its recovery timeline.
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Wednesday brought a report from DSPN‘s Martin Devlin that the timeline could extend beyond the Super Rugby Pacific season, which kicks off on Friday.
It was specified that Holland could be back in the latter rounds of the season and is expected to be available for the All Blacks‘ July Test window, which sees them host France, Ireland and Italy in the inaugural Nations Championship.
The news is harsh for a rebuilding Highlanders outfit, who already have the fewest All Blacks of any New Zealand Super Rugby Pacific side.
Holland’s absence puts additional emphasis on new recruit Tomás Lavanini, Los Pumas’ near Test centurion, and could open the door for 202 cm, 115 kg 20-year-old Josh Tengblad, who is in the Highlanders’ wider training group.
Speaking to media at the Super Rugby Pacific launch event last week, Holland said Lavanini had quickly made his presence felt at the club.
“Mate, he’s awesome,” Holland grinned. “My amigo, I love him. He’s one of the greats. He’s fit in like a glove, he’s just a great man, a great footy player. He has a lot of experience, obviously, which he brings with him. He’s been awesome for our environment.”
On a broader note, Holland’s absence in the 2026 campaign coincides with Scott Barrett’s non-playing sabbatical, which is expected to span roughly the first 10 rounds of the season, although details are still being worked through between the All Blacks captain and his club.
Patrick Tuipulotu is also nursing an injury that will sideline him for the start of the Super Rugby season, meaning there will be plenty of opportunities for the next generation of Kiwi locks to make an impact and audition for a new All Blacks head coach.
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