Highlanders 2021
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Press release from the Highlanders. Just awesome news for everyone who loves the Landers. We keep Fakatava, for another two years at least.
News | Highlanders Rugby Club Limited Partnership
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Fakatava signs two-year deal with Highlanders
Following a lot of media speculation Highlander’s CEO, Roger Clark, today confirmed Folau Fakatava has committed to the Speight’s Highlanders until 2023. Following Aaron Smith’s recent contract extension it was thought that Fakatava may look elsewhere, but Clark confirmed the talented playmaker was comfortable staying in Dunedin despite being chased by other Clubs.Clark said, “Folau certainly had other offers to consider but we are delighted he has chosen to stay with us. We are working hard to retain a nucleus of players for the next few years and we certainly see Folau as key to our future aspirations”.
Fakatava played for Hawkes Bay in 2018, straight out of Hastings High School as an 18-year old, where he helped his team to two national top four finals, winning the top school honour in 2017.
He signed for the Highlanders in 2019 and has made seven appearancesafter making his debut against the Melbourne Rebels.
In 2020, after an outstanding year with Hawkes Bay that included winning the Championship title, he was awarded the Duane Monkley Medal for the Mitre 10 Cup Player of The Year and capped off a successful year with a game for the Moana Pasifika team against the Maori All Blacks.
Highlanders Head Coach, Tony Brown, is excited at the prospect of what Fakatava could deliver over the next few seasons.
“He is a special talent no doubt, he has certainly grown as a man and a player over the last few seasons and his game is starting to come together nicely. He is a real threat to any defence and was outstanding for Hawkes Bay last season. We look forward to him taking his game to new heights over the next few years and I would love to see both Aaron and Folau in the All Blacks - he is certainly capable”.
Smith and Fakatava have already shared the starting duties in 2021 and he should get plenty more opportunities which he is excited about.
“I have really enjoyed my time here and although there were other options, I really wanted to pay back the club that gave me my start. I have had the best halfback in the world as my coach and I feel very lucky to have had the chance to learn so much down here. I feel like a southern man now.”
ENDS
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awesome news
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It will be interesting to see whether he'll make the ABs already this year. That is, if he decides to play for NZ instead of Tonga, which isn't a given. If it happens this year, I hope Weber doesn't leave immediately, or we'll have a problem in Hawke's Bay (which we'll also have if Fakatava takes Perenara's spot in the ABs, instead of Weber's).
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@stargazer we're sure he's qualified? i thought there was some doubt if he needed another year?
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@kiwiwomble No, he's definitely eligible. Even if they hadn't postponed the starting date of the 5-year residency requirement, I think he'd still be eligible. He arrived in NZ just in time.
Edited to add that the 5-year-residency rule enters into force on 1 January 2022. So the last day to enter NZ under the 3-year residency rule was 31 December 2016. Fakatava already played for Hastings Boys in 2016.
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@stargazer I'm pretty sure the clock only starts ticking once the player leaves High School.
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@higgins Oops, yes, that's true, but that doesn't change the fact that he's NZ eligible. The residency requirement up to and including December 31, 2021 is “thirty-six consecutive months of Residence immediately preceding the time of playing”. After that date, it's a sixty-month residency requirement . So if they cap him before 31 December 2021, it's three years. He left school at the end of 2017. That's more than enough.
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Himeno - Meeting the Highlanders
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'You can be an All Black': The message from Jamie Joseph that helped define Aaron Smith's career
Aaron Smith has lifted the lid on how Jamie Joseph helped inspire him to become one of the greatest halfbacks of all-time.
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@stargazer said in Highlanders 2021:
'You can be an All Black': The message from Jamie Joseph that helped define Aaron Smith's career
Aaron Smith has lifted the lid on how Jamie Joseph helped inspire him to become one of the greatest halfbacks of all-time.
"It was really cool, and then the shock of Jamie Joseph saying, ‘You can be Jimmy Cowan..."
I think Smith exceeded that target...buy quite a bit
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@kiwiwomble said in Highlanders 2021:
@stargazer said in Highlanders 2021:
'You can be an All Black': The message from Jamie Joseph that helped define Aaron Smith's career
Aaron Smith has lifted the lid on how Jamie Joseph helped inspire him to become one of the greatest halfbacks of all-time.
"It was really cool, and then the shock of Jamie Joseph saying, ‘You can be Jimmy Cowan..."
I think Smith exceeded that target...buy quite a bit
You could lump in Piri and Angela with the Southland bogan and he exceeded that target by lots still.
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PPP would be heavier than any AB lock so far. Cooksley is listed as 125 kg, BBBR and Mika at 123 kg.
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