Gear meets with Highlanders

THE HIGHLANDERS have confirmed they are keen on securing the services of All Blacks and Hurricanes wing Hosea Gear for next year’s Super Rugby competition.

Gear, who is yet to make a decision on his playing future, met with Jamie Joseph and the other coaching staff in Dunedin last Friday and also had a look at the new indoor Forsyth Barr Stadium, where the team will play its home games next season.

Highlanders chief executive Roger Clark also confirmed similar a meeting had been held with All Blacks hooker Andrew Hore after he was sensationally let go by the Hurricanes.

“Yep, we invited him down to look at the stadium and meet our people, the coaches really. It's a matter of providing an option really,” he told the Dominion Post.

“It's been no secret we are looking for a couple of X-factor players to add to the nucleus we've got and Hosea obviously fits the bill.”

Gear and Joseph have a working relationship, with the former having coached the latter during his time with Wellington and the New Zealand Maori.

Clark says Hore, who lives in Central Otago, would be a “perfect fit” for the Highlanders, but the unexpected nature of his availability had presented a challenge to the franchise's budget.