New Zealand appoint Sam Cane as new captain

New Zealand Rugby has confirmed Chiefs flanker Sam Cane as the new captain of the All Blacks.

The decision follows after Kieran Read announced his retirement from international rugby following the World Cup in Japan last year.

Cane made his All Blacks debut in 2012 and has gone on to play 68 Tests in which he scored 13 tries. He was also part of the 2015 victorious World Cup campaign and also the showpiece event in Japan last year.

New Zealand head coach Ian Foster described Cane as a 'natural' leader and is confident of him achieving success with the role.

“Sam is an experienced All Black with eight years in the team now and is a ‘follow me’ type of leader and a very good thinker in the game,” said Foster.

“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.”

Meanwhile, Cane, who had already captained New Zealand thrice is looking forward to the opportunity of leading the All Blacks.

“It’s a pretty exciting challenge really and as I’ve spent more time in the All Blacks and grown as a player, I’ve become a lot more comfortable being a leader in the team,” he said.

“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.”