Sam Cane

Sam Cane’s inclusion in the All Blacks at just 20 years old marked a rapid rise for the young loose forward who hails from the small Bay of Plenty town of Reporoa. Cane is seen as a player who works hard week-in and week-out, and also as a leader within the team.

He carried a big workload for the All Blacks in 2015, appearing in eight matches and has been in the thick of things again for the Chiefs in 2016.

Cane captained the All Blacks against Namibia at RWC 2015, becoming the All Blacks’ 67th Test Captain and the fifth-youngest man to wear the armband. He had been earlier promoted to the All Blacks’ leadership group in 2013, which was rare for players not regularly in the starting fifteen.

A dominant force both at the breakdown and in open play, he was part of the 2011 Junior World Championship-winning New Zealand Under 20 side and earned a nomination for the IRB’s Junior Player of the Year Award.

He made his Super Rugby debut in 2010 at just 18 years old, followed by ITM Cup selection for Bay of Plenty later that year. He has won two Super Rugby titles with the Chiefs (2012-13) and was a regular member of age-grade teams including two years in the New Zealand Under 17 squad.