Tyrel Lomax is officially more likely to become an All Black than a Wallaby, signing with the Highlanders for two years.<\/p>\n
Lomax was well and truly on Michael Cheika’s radar, included in the Wallabies’ Canberra camp in April, amid an impressive Super Rugby season.<\/p>\n
The 21-year-old was a standout in last year’s World U20s Championships, named the Australian U20s player of the year, before signing with the Rebels.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
His promise has clearly been noticed across the ditch, with the Otago franchise locking Lomax in from 2019, with the prop still contracted to the Rebels for 2018.<\/p>\n
Lomax said the opportunity to play for a Kiwi Super Rugby team, who have dominated all and sundry in the past two seasons, was impossible to ignore.<\/p>\n
“I grew up in NZ and as an aspiring rugby player the chance to play for a NZ Super Rugby club was too good an opportunity to turn down,” he said.<\/p>\n
“As a young prop I can’t wait to get to the Highlanders, they have an awesome culture there and I just want to immerse myself in it and learn as much as possible.”<\/p>\n
Highlanders CEO Roger Clark said Lomax had impressed him in their negotiations.<\/p>\n
“Throughout our dealings with Tyrel he has shown himself to be a mature young man with a real determination to learn and improve, he has a real desire to go as far as he can in the game,” he said.<\/p>\n
“He will fit in well at the Highlanders and we would like to think this is just the start for Tyrel, we believe he has a very bright future in front of him”.<\/p>\n
Born in New Zealand, Lomax would be immediately eligible to play for New Zealand despite his U20s stint.<\/p>\n