New Zealand coach Scott Robertson has described Fabian Holland’s rise as “movie sort of stuff” as the Dutch-born lock prepares to make his All Blacks debut against France on Saturday.
The 22-year-old is one of four uncapped players in the starting XV to face Les Bleus in the first Test at Dunedin.
Holland watched the All Blacks sevens team train in his hometown of Castricum in the Netherlands in 2014 aged 11 and moved to New Zealand five years later to pursue his dream of playing professional rugby.
“He’s pretty excited. From Zeeland to New Zealand,” Robertson said on Thursday.
“He’s come a long way. It’s a great story. Pretty single-minded from a 14-year-old to make that call to come over and represent another country in a game he loves – and he saw the All Blacks as the ultimate.
“It’s movie sort of stuff, isn’t it?”
Holland met All Blacks sevens captain DJ Forbes and Akira Ioane when they trained at Castricum Rugby Club, where he had been playing since the age of five.
“As soon as I was on the field, I was a different little boy, to be honest,” Holland said in an interview in 2021, external.
“I developed more and more passion about rugby and there are not a lot of countries like New Zealand when it comes to passion about rugby.
“I always dreamed of coming but it never felt real for me. When I was 16 I got the opportunity to come to New Zealand and I’ve been living the dream every day. I still have to pinch myself that it’s real.”
Holland initially arrived in New Zealand for a six-month spell at Christchurch Boys’ High School but his rise has been rapid.
He started on a developmental contract with the Highlanders in 2021 and signed a professional deal with the Super Rugby side the following year.
On Saturday he will line up alongside his former Otago and Highlanders team-mate Christian Lio-Willie, who is also set to make his All Blacks debut.
Robertson said it was fitting that Holland’s first cap would come at Forsyth Barr Stadium, home of the Highlanders.
“I’m sure Fabian’s Highlanders supporters, and Christian’s Otago fans, will be out in full force,” Robertson said.
