Just one week after falling agonisingly short of a Bunnings NPC title in 2025 with Otago, Highlanders midfielder Thomas Umaga-Jensen has announced he will make the move from the deep south to Japan.
Umaga-Jensen, who turns 28 in December, will play for Japan side Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi.
The former U20 New Zealand representative played 42 games for the Highlanders since making his debut in 2018, and has made 30 appearances for Otago and 23 for Wellington.
The experienced midfielder had an impressive campaign for Otago, who fell just short last weekend against Canterbury at Apollo Project Stadium. Umaga-Jensen scored six tries in his career for the Highlanders, and had solidified himself as a proven Super Rugby Pacific midfielder.
His brother, Peter, also plays in Japan, and they will be playing against each other in round one later this year.
After last weekend’s final, Umaga-Jensen told the Otago Daily Daily Times how much this team means to him, and how his aim was to leave the organisation in a better place.
“I didn’t think they were going to broadcast it on live television as I was going to wait for later,” he said last week.
“But that’s my next journey, my next opportunity.
“It is bittersweet. I love this team. I love where we’ve come from and what we’ve been able to achieve over the last five or six years, but that’s all part of it. You just want to leave the jersey and the organisation in a better place.”
Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi finished 1st in Japan Rugby League One (Div 2) last season, with 11 wins from 14 games, and now have added Noah Lolesio and Christian Lealifano to their backline stocks for 2026 and beyond.