Sam Cane has been named the All Blacks succeeding Kieran Reid - Photo / Getty Images
All Blacks loose forward and Chiefs Captain Sam Cane has been named as the new All Blacks captain.
Raised in Reporoa, in the Bay of Plenty, Cane has played 68 Tests, including 48 starts, since making his debut against Ireland in 2012, at age 20.
Cane succeeds Kieran Read who retired after Rugby World Cup 2019.
In 2019 he made a much-anticipated return to the field following a neck injury helping the Chiefs push through to the Quarter Finals.
Cane was also part of the RWC2019 squad.
All Blacks Head Coach Ian Foster says, "Sam is an experienced All Black with eight years in the team now. He has a natural ability to connect with everyone in the team and is straightforward and direct when he needs to be.
"There's massive respect for Sam amongst the players and management, and he's perfectly placed to lead the All Blacks into the future."
Cane says, "The great thing about the All Blacks is that the leadership group is full of captains and experienced players already, so I'm just really looking forward to working closely with that group and doing my best to lead them and the rest of the squad."
Cane has already captained three times previously for the All Blacks.
He became the 67th Test captain when he captained the team against Namibia at RWC2015.
He also captained the team against Italy in 2016 and against Argentina in Buenos Aires last year.
Samuel Jordan Cane
Born: 13 January 1992 in Rotorua
Physical: 1.89m, 106kg
Position: Loose forward
Province: Bay of Plenty
Investec Super Rugby team: Chiefs
Investec Super Rugby appearances: 116
All Blacks Debut: 16 June 2012, vs Ireland in Christchurch, aged 20.
All Blacks Tests: 68 (Three as Captain)
All Blacks Test Points: 65pts (13 tries)
All Black Number: 1113