Wellington inside back Michael Hobbs and Canterbury winger James Paterson will be two new faces in the Highlanders next year.
Hobbs has signed a two-year deal with the franchise, and is expected to be named in the Highlanders next month.
Hobbs, who turned 22 last Sunday, plays first five-eighth or second five-eighth and is transferring from Wellington.
As part of the deal, Hobbs will have until Christmas to decide which province he wants to play for next season.
He has missed all of this year's Air New Zealand Cup because of a back injury but has passed a medical clearance and is fit to play.
The son of New Zealand Rugby Union chairman Jock Hobbs, he was drafted to the Blues last season.
Otago Rugby Football Union chief executive Richard Reid said Hobbs was keen to move south and was seen by Highlanders coach Glenn Moore as a player of promise.
Reid said with the transfer deadline looming last Friday, the union agreed to the clause over where Hobbs played his provincial rugby next year.
Hobbs wanted to come down and check out the environment before deciding on which province he played for in 2010.
A finance student, he had attended two universities already and wanted to see if he was able to enrol at the University of Otago.
Hobbs will most likely fill one of the inside back positions for the Highlanders, with Southland youngster Robbie Robinson likely to be the other candidate to play in the No 10 jersey.
Daniel Bowden could also be available for the Highlanders again as he may be squeezed out at the Blues.
It is unlikely the Highlanders will draft Hawkes Bay first five-eighth Mathew Berquist again.
Southland has completed the signing of Paterson.
The strong-running winger would have been in hot competition for places in the Crusaders' outside backs with the likes of new All Black Zac Guildford, Sean Maitland and Adam Whitelock.
Paterson (22) spent much of his youth in the United States and played American football for a period but decided to return to New Zealand to concentrate on rugby and he almost immediately won selection for Canterbury.
Prop Clint Newland and midfield backs Jayden Hayward and Johnny Leota are all still on deals which have seen them signed to play for the Highlanders and then loaned back to their own provinces.
They will play for the Highlanders if they are part of the 24-strong group which can be protected by the franchise.
With the re-signing of captain Jimmy Cowan, prop Jamie Mackintosh and fullback Israel Dagg, coach Glenn Moore may be able to pick more than 20 players from last year's squad for the Highlanders.
Other transfers confirmed yesterday under the loan-back scheme included Taranaki lock Craig Clarke (signed by Waikato to play for the Chiefs), Wellington halfback Alby Mathewson (Auckland/Blues), North Harbour prop Ben Afeaki (Waikato/Chiefs), Hawkes Bay hooker Hika Elliot (Waikato/Chiefs), Wellington centre Robert Fruean (Canterbury/Crusaders) and Canterbury lock Michael Paterson (Wellington/Hurricanes)Tasman lock Joe Wheeler will appear before a New Zealand Rugby Union judicial hearing in Wellington tomorrow, NZPA reports.
Wheeler has been cited for allegedly stamping on Otago flanker Alando Soakai's head in their Air NZ Cup match at Carisbrook on Saturday.
