Halfback Sam Nock and Taniwha skipper Matt Moulds have again been selected alongside Josh Goodhue by Blues mentor Tana Umaga while Jack Goodhue, currently on All Blacks' duty, will continue to ply his trade with the Crusaders.
Former Melbourne Rebels' first five Debreczeni has been snapped up by Chiefs after a stellar season in his first Mitre 10 Cup campaign with Northland. He will be back for the Taniwha next season.
But it was Robinson who garnered just as much attention with his thundering presence at the breakdown for Northland and he is the sort of player who will get fans through the turnstiles.
He's a combative athlete with a love of the rough and tumble that comes with the territory and it's not just his appetite to be involved in collisions, but his ability to win them that makes him a special player.
Drafted by the Blues in 2016 for three months, he played in the pre-season that year and travelled to Brisbane for the Tens tournament with the team.
He was out injured last year but is delighted to make the Blues squad— a team he always dreamt of playing for.
"I am really stoked as I've been trying the last few seasons to make the team. I've always wanted to play for them since I was young, they are our Super Rugby team,'' Robinson said.
"It's definitely a step up from Mitre 10 rugby and I just have to make sure I am in good nick heading into pre-season."
Robinson has signed a one-year contract. He will soon head off to Australia for a week-long break before getting into pre-season training.
"The key for me is to keep going for 80 minutes ... high work rate. The Blues have players who can bust open the defence so my work rate will add to that," he said.
Like his dad, his dream is to one day play for the All Blacks but the Blues is where his focus is for his inaugural Super Rugby season.
Robinson, in the exalted company of Murray Douglas and Goodhue, is among a few players who can play lock and flanker equally well and fingers crossed he gets through the rigours of Super Rugby without major injuries.
Born in Kerikeri, Robinson comes from a family with a proud rugby pedigree and wins selection by a binocular distance given his lung power and his work around the park.
Dad Alastair represented North Harbour and made the 1983 tour of Scotland and England where he played four matches for the All Blacks but did not appear in any tests.
Tom Robinson is currently "fattening up" at his grandparents' farm at Maungatapere and thanked them for generously allowing him to stay with them.
"They're feeding me and putting fat on my bones," he chuckled while cognisant of the fact that fat must be shed by December when training starts.
Former Taniwha Dan Pryor played for the Highlanders last year before taking up an offer this year from Japanese team Munakata Sanix Blues, who ply their trade in the Japan Top League.
