Super Rugby Pacific: Hurricanes standout Warner Dearns on his rugby future and the big All Blacks question
Friday, 24 April 2026
What: Super Round, Hurricanes v Brumbies. Where: One New Zealand Te Kaha Stadium, Christchurch. When: 5.05pm Saturday, Sky Sport 1.
Watching Warner Dearns hurl his 202cm frame around the park to devastating effect for the Hurricanes, it’s difficult not to imagine him linking arms with the similarly-statured Fabian Holland in an All Blacks jersey.
For new national coach Dave Rennie it would appear a dream locking combination, with one obvious hitch - Dearns’ current commitment to Japan for whom he’s played 21 tests (and scored a try against the All Blacks in 2022).
Still, it begs the question to the Wellington-born son of a Silver Fern who only just turned 24: is the door completely shut on an international stand-down and allegiance switch, maybe after next year’s Rugby World Cup?
“At this point in time it’s like 97% closed, maybe 98%. As a kid I dreamed of playing for the All Blacks, and up until I moved to Japan when I was 14 I was set on playing professional rugby in New Zealand. It was the only thing I wanted to do,” Dearns tells The Post, ahead of Saturday’s match against the Brumbies under the roof in Christchurch.
“Since moving and experiencing different things and having that support system in Japan through people that owed me nothing, I feel a bit of a responsibility to give back to Japanese rugby and those people that helped me get to where I am.”
Still, there’s hope for Hurricanes fans of a Dearns return beyond this one-year contract in which he’s proven one of the franchise’s best buys in their 30-year history.
This year is his ‘sabbatical’ in a four-year contract with Toshiba which expires at the end of 2028, as Japan national coach Eddie Jones encourages his players to experience top-level competitions around the world. Dearns says he’d like to play in Europe, and potentially also return to his homeland.
“I’d always think of coming back in the future, whether it’s after those two years… or it might be another 5-6 years before I think about coming back… it’s always a place I’m open to wanting to come and play rugby.”
Dearns is the son of Grant Dearns - currently a strength and conditioning coach with Moana Pasifika - and former Silver Ferns defender Tanya Dearns, chief executive of Wairarapa-Bush Rugby Union. Young Warner first featured in the newspaper as a newborn, cradled by his mother who brought him to Capital Shakers training when she was coach.
Grant Dearns was formerly with Hawke’s Bay and then a new job in Japan saw the family make the big move offshore. Less than a decade on, Dearns jnr was national captain and yet to play top-level rugby in New Zealand.
That all changed in 2024 when Dearns explored a one-year stint in Super Rugby as part of his new four-year Japan deal, and the Kiwis began circling.
“I remember Jamie Joseph mentioned something to my agent about me coming back to the Highlanders, and I played with Matt Todd in Japan and he was always trying to get me back to the Crusaders.
“There was always a bit of an offer hanging around, and when I’d spoken with Eddie Jones about going overseas that’s when my agent put out the word that I was keen to come back. I had my mind made up pretty early on when I heard the Hurricanes were keen.”
His signing was trumpeted by the Hurricanes last June, as Dearns and his Japanese partner Leyla prepared for the arrival of their first child. Their son, Keon, was born in late December then Dearns was back to the capital in January.
They’ve loved their move ‘home’, with Tanya nearby and younger sister Kyra finishing her studies in Wellington and, as Dearns quips, always on the phone asking him to buy lunch or dinner.
“It’s good to have her close by. We haven’t been able to see each other very much over the last 5-6 years, and Mum and her moved back when I was still in high school in Japan. It’s good we can be this close and catch up regularly - it’s just not so good on the wallet.”
Rugby-wise, Dearns’ impact was immediate as the Hurricanes flew into gear off the back of a rock solid set piece. The lineout became a key point of attack with almost guaranteed ball, and Dearns tops the competition stats for lineout steals, too.
For a 202cm, 124kg giant his mobility is remarkable and his long arms are a constant chargedown threat. He kicked himself, though, for not quite getting it against the Chiefs’ Damian McKenzie last Saturday when the ball hit him in the head and ricocheted to Wallace Sititi for the matchwinning try.
“It’s the level you want to be playing at, to get test match ready. Having played test match footy and then coming over to Super, the physicality and intensity is definitely well up there.
“Compared to the Japanese league, in Japan you’ll have a few imports who are physical monsters but in Super Rugby you have to be wary of just about everyone. They’re all willing to hit hard and carry hard.”
With Dearns departing at season’s end, along with tryscoring machine Fehi Fineanganofo, lock Isaia Walker-Leawere and possibly Devan Flanders, who has offers from Japan on the table, the Hurricanes may not get a better chance to add to their solitary 2016 title.
They chase a fifth straight win against the Brumbies on New Zealand soil, and some revenge for their painful season-ending defeat in Canberra last year.
“We’re really proud of the performances we’ve put out so far, and up until 60 minutes in that Chiefs game we were winning and should have played better in that last 20. We let ourselves down. It’s positive to know we lost because we didn’t play up to our standards and the Chiefs played their best footy in the last 20 minutes.
“It was really tough to lose but it’s just one game in the season. It’s not that we don’t have to worry about it but it’s happened and we can put it behind us. We’re still confident, we still know that when we play our best footy that other teams have a real hard time to stop us, so it’s actually pretty exciting to look at it that way.”