Two players of Fijian heritage are among the five new recruits in the Highlanders squad for next year’s Super Rugby Pacific competition.
They are hooker Soane Vikena and flanker Veveni Lasaqa, who have both signed two-year contracts.
Vikena hails from Nasilai in Rewa and was a member of the Blues squad that clinched the Super Rugby title. In 2020, he was part of the Blues Under-20s and was named Blues Development Player of the Year. He represented the New Zealand U20 team from 2020 to 2021 and played for Auckland in the National Provincial Championship. He made his Super Rugby debut for the Blues in 2021 against the Crusaders.
Vikena is an energetic hooker known for his strong open-field running, excellent tackling, and accurate line-out throwing.
Lasaqa made his Super Rugby debut against the Reds this year. The 22-year-old played for Bay of Plenty in the NPC. Born in Lautoka, Lasaqa moved to New Zealand to attend Tauranga Boys College.
The other three players joining the Highlanders are Will Stoddart, former New Zealand sevens rugby winger Caleb Tangitau, and Josh Wahaanga.