As the Dutch-born lock prepares to make his All Blacks debut against France on Saturday, New Zealand coach Scott Robertson has described Fabian Holland’s rise as “movie stuff.”
In the first Test at Dunedin, Les Bleus will face the 22-year-old in the starting XV.
Holland, a native of Castricum in the Netherlands, moved to New Zealand five years ago to pursue his dream of playing professional rugby after watching the All Blacks Sevens team play there in 2014 at the age of 11.
He appears to be excited. Robertson said on Thursday that he was moving from Zeeland to New Zealand.
He has come a long way, he says. It’s a fantastic tale. A youngster felt the need to travel to another country to play a game he loves, and he saw the All Blacks as the best option.
It’s “film stuff, isn’t it?”
When Holland and his teammates trained at Castricum Rugby Club, where he had been a five-year player, DJ Forbes and Akira Ioane, the All Blacks sevens team, met.
In an interview in 2021, Holland stated that “as soon as I was on the field, I was a different little boy, to be honest.
There aren’t many nations like New Zealand when it comes to passion for rugby, and I’ve since developed an even greater passion for it.
“I’ve always wanted to go, but it never materialized for me.” I was 16 when I was given the chance to travel to New Zealand, and I’ve since done the same. It still makes me feel real even though it is real.
Holland first arrived in New Zealand for Christchurch Boys’ High School for six months, but he quickly rose.
He signed a professional deal with the Super Rugby side the following year and began a developmental contract with the Highlanders in 2021.
Christian Lio-Willie, who is also expected to make his All Blacks debut, will join him on Saturday along with his former Otago and Highlanders teammate Christian Lio-Willie.
Forsyth Barr Stadium, home to the Highlanders, would be the ideal venue for Holland’s first cap, according to Robertson.
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Source: BBC
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