From humble beginnings in the Waikato community of Reporoa, Sam Cane has grown from a farm boy to arguably the second-most important job in New Zealand.
Named by new coach Ian Foster as the All Blacks' captain, Cane will first have to wait until he can lead the side in a Test, with Covid-19 having temporarily seen rugby to a halt.
His first task? Helping restore the All Blacks' pride in the wake of the Rugby World Cup semi-final defeat to England.
Cane told TVNZ 1's Sunday about the hurt that loss caused him and his new charges, seemingly waiting for the chance to put things right.
"It's hard to put into words. And that one, without doubt is the worst of my career, hands down," Cane says.
"I've been really looking forward to getting out and playing a Test match again this year, earning back a bit of respect and putting a wee bit back into the jersey."
Cane's rise to the All Blacks captaincy was all the more remarkable, having broken his neck in 2018 while playing against the Springboks. He was just centimetres away from being paralysed.
"I thought I was concussed to be honest. I had intense pins and needle down my arm, but turns out this way, but worse than that.
"The surgeons showed me an X-ray of a 16-year-old South African boy. Our X-ray images are pretty much identical.
"The only difference being my neck muscles were so much stronger, that poor boy, he's wheelchair-bound. So I feel pretty lucky."
That injury gave the 28-year-old an entirely new perspective on the fickle nature of sport.
"Rugby can be taken away at any moment. Injury, loss of form, contract, anything like that," he says.
"But you ask yourself, would I be alright if I didn't have to, if I couldn't play rugby again? And for me, the answer was, yes.
"I've got to the stage now where I don't think rugby defines me as a person."
Watch the video for the full Sunday interview.
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