Seven of the club’s under-20 players made the New Zealand under-20 squad this season and the bulk of them have now inked contracts and will remain in the system.
Towering Highlanders and New Zealand under-20 lock Fabian Holland upgraded his development contract to full contract last month.
The club further cemented its commitment to developing local players, announcing yesterday it had signed more young stars.
Otago halfback Nathan Hastie has also agreed to the same deal. He is recovering from shoulder surgery and will miss the NPC this season, but played for the New Zealand under-20 team last year and is highly rated.
All of the above players made their way through the Highlanders’ high-performance programmes or under-20 squad.
Highlanders chief executive Roger Clark said identifying and preparing players for Super Rugby was an important part of the programme and an increasing focus for the club.
"Our high-performance group have done a good job identifying and helping nurture the young talent from within our own regions," he said.
"They’ve been working closely with Otago, Southland and North Otago to provide a development pathway for players.
"It’s great that this group will realise their dream of becoming Super Rugby players.
"I am sure there will be more to follow."
Rugby Southland chief executive Steve Mitchell and Otago Rugby chief executive Richard Kinley hailed the news as a positive development for rugby in the South.
"It is especially pleasing to see the aligned approach and early commitment from the Highlanders to these players," Kinley said.
"It’s a real win for everyone to be able to keep them in the region where they can continue to grow and develop."
