Name
Otago Highlanders
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calendar next New South Wales Waratahs vs Otago Highlanders (14 Feb)

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Established
1996 (29 years old)

Sport
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Venue
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Forsyth Barr Stadium

(30,748 Capacity)

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Location
Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand

Nicknames

Competitions
Super Rugby

Last Edit
smudgie: 02/Jun/24
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Upcoming
calendar next 14 Feb New South Wa tiny home badge icon - tiny away badge icon Otago Highla
calendar next 22 Feb Otago Highla tiny home badge icon - tiny away badge icon Blues Super
calendar next 28 Feb Moana Pasifi tiny home badge icon - tiny away badge icon Otago Highla
calendar next 14 Mar Otago Highla tiny home badge icon - tiny away badge icon Wellington H
calendar next 22 Mar Otago Highla tiny home badge icon - tiny away badge icon Queensland R

Results
calendar next 08 Jun Brumbies tiny home badge icon 32 - 16 tiny away badge icon Otago Highla
calendar next 01 Jun Wellington H tiny home badge icon 41 - 14 tiny away badge icon Otago Highla
calendar next 26 May Otago Highla tiny home badge icon 39 - 3 tiny away badge icon Fijian Drua
calendar next 18 May Blues Super tiny home badge icon 47 - 13 tiny away badge icon Otago Highla
calendar next 11 May Otago Highla tiny home badge icon 32 - 29 tiny away badge icon Crusaders Su


Description Available in: british english flag icon
The Highlanders (formerly the Otago Highlanders and currently known as the Speight's Highlanders for sponsorship reasons) is a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Dunedin that compete in Super Rugby. The team was formed in 1996 to represent the lower South Island in the newly formed Super 12 competition, and includes the Otago, North Otago and Southland unions. The Highlanders take their name from the Scottish immigrants that helped found the Otago, North Otago, and Southland regions in the 1840s and 1850s.

Their main ground through the 2011 Super Rugby season was Carisbrook in Dunedin, with home games occasionally being played in Invercargill and Queenstown. The Highlanders moved into Carisbrook's replacement, Forsyth Barr Stadium at University Plaza, for the 2012 season; the stadium opened in time for the 2011 Rugby World Cup, but after the Super Rugby season.

They finished the inaugural season eighth, and the following season finished last after winning only three of eleven matches. However, in the 1998, 1999 and 2000 seasons they qualified for semi-finals; hosting the 1999 competition final against fellow South Island team the Crusaders. They lost the match 24–19, and the following year were again knocked out by the Crusaders—this time in their semi-final. In the following fifteen seasons they would only finish in the top four once more, in 2002. But in 2015, they were crowned Super Rugby champions after beating the Hurricanes at Westpac Stadium .

Former Highlander, Ben Smith has played a record 129 games for the Highlanders, and thirteen other players have played over 50 games for the team. The Highlanders' highest career points scorer is Lima Sopoaga with 866 points, and highest career try scorer is Waisake Naholo with 45 tries. They are currently coached by Tony Brown and are captained by Ash Dixon and Aaron Smith.
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Team Members


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Ainsley



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Alaimalo



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Apisai



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Ben-Nicholas



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Collins



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Coltman



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Dickson



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Dixon



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Evans



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Fakatava



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Frizell



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Garden-Bachop



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Gilbert



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Gregory



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Groot



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Hammington



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Harmon



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Himeno



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Hohneck



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Hunt



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Ioane



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Jackson



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Johnstone



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Koroi



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Lentjes



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Lienert-Brown



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Makene



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Misiloi



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Nareki



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O'Malley



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Paea



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Parkinson



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Punivai



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Regan



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Renton



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Selby-Rickit



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Smith



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Squire



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Tavatavanawai



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Thwaites



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Tokolahi



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Tomkinson



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Tu'U



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Umaga-Jensen



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Vahaakolo



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Withy



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