The Hurricanes offered something no other bidder could when talks began with Japan captain Warner Dearns: the chance to come home. The Wellington-based Super Rugby World Cup 2027 Pacific franchise secured one of the standout signings for 2026, landing the towering lock on a one-year deal that was big in every sense. Dearns, a giant second-rower with a growing international reputation.
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Had been weighing global options, but the pull of family, familiarity, and a clear rugby pathway ultimately tipped the scales in favour of the Hurricanes. It marked a statement of intent ahead of a crucial campaign for both club and country ambitions. After guiding Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo to back-to-back Japan Rugby League One titles, Dearns was approved to spend time overseas.
The move is designed to broaden his skill set and sharpen his edge before the Rugby World Cup 2027. Interest came from across the rugby world, including European clubs and every New Zealand-based Super Rugby franchise. Yet the Hurricanes could offer something uniquely powerful: a return to the region where his story began, surrounded by familiar faces and deep personal ties.
That emotional connection proved decisive during final discussions and outweighed purely financial considerations elsewhere in this stage career. Born in Wellington and raised in Hawke’s Bay, Dearns moved to Japan at just 14, following his father and building a career far from home. Despite that distance, his roots in New Zealand have always remained strong.
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Rugby World Cup: Family Ties Helped Seal Dearns Deal
His mother, former Silver Fern Tanya Dearns, still lives within the Hurricanes region and currently serves as chief executive of Wairarapa Bush. Family connections in Wellington and nearby areas helped keep the Hurricanes firmly in contention throughout negotiations. Those links offered comfort and familiarity during an important career decision made at a pivotal moment in his development as an international leader and mentor.
Hurricanes head coach Clark Laidlaw confirmed Dearns spoke with multiple New Zealand and European sides before deciding. He said the lock had arranged a sabbatical with Toshiba and the Japan Rugby World Cup to accelerate his growth. The Hurricanes coaching group, including Jamie Mackintosh and Bryn Evans, outlined their forward plans over Zoom, explaining how Dearns would fit their systems.
Laidlaw admitted that subtle advantages, including family proximity and regional loyalty, played a meaningful role in sealing the deal. For the Hurricanes, it represented both smart recruitment and emotional resonance ahead of a demanding Super Rugby season with championship ambitions firmly set internally.
Standing 2.03 metres tall, Dearns adds significant size and authority to a Hurricanes pack already stacked with talent. All Blacks such as Asafo Aumua, Tyrel Lomax, and Pasilio Tosi provide power, while Du’Plessis Kirifi and Peter Lakai offer mobility and breakdown skill. Dearns effectively replaces NPC winner Zach Gallagher, who departed after one season to join Toyota Verblitz under Sir Steve Hansen.
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Rugby World Cup Final: Hurricanes Reinforce Engine Room
His arrival reshapes the second row and strengthens set-piece options within a squad aiming to push deep into the playoffs after falling just short in recent Super Rugby campaigns that promised much but delivered frustration at crucial moments. Dearns will occupy one of the Hurricanes’ three foreign player slots and join a competitive locking group.
Isaia Walker-Leawere, Caleb Delany, Hugo Plummer, and young prospect Tom Allen will all compete for minutes. Laidlaw expects Dearns to make an immediate impact in the Rugby World Cup Final, describing him as a proven international captain who played every minute for Japan this season and brings leadership standards that can lift the wider squad.
His athleticism, ball skills, and work rate suit the Hurricanes’ preferred style once he adjusts to the tempo and demands of Super Rugby after years playing a different competition rhythm previously full-time. After a long international season, Dearns has remained in Japan for the birth of his first child. He is scheduled to arrive in Wellington in the New Year.
Besides linking up with the Hurricanes for pre-season training. For the franchise, his signing is a rare example of talent flowing back into the Super Rugby World Cup Final. For Dearns, it is a homecoming filled with purpose, ambition, and unfinished business. The coming months will test how quickly he settles and leads, but expectations are high that he will thrive on familiar ground with family support and a motivated, ambitious team around him immediately ahead.
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