Almost 12 years since making his All Blacks debut, Rugby World Cup winner and two-time Super Rugby champion Sam Cane has made the decision to bow out of the Test arena at the end of 2024.
Having played 95 Tests (27 as captain), the 32-year-old has decided to focus on spending more time with family and sign a long-term contract with Suntory Goliath in Tokyo.
Cane will return home at the end of the current Japanese club season where he is on sabbatical and is eligible to be selected for the All Blacks in 2024, giving him the chance to become the team’s 13th Test centurion.
In 2025, Cane will relocate with his wife Harriet and two-year-old son Hudson to Tokyo after signing a three-year contract (2027) with Suntory Goliath.
Cane says a good opportunity came his way with Suntory Sungoliath willing to offer him a three-year contract and it was something they had to seriously consider as a family due to the stage he is at in his career.
The flanker says it will see him through to 2027 for his 35th birthday.
All Blacks coach Scott Robertson says the position Cane plays asks a lot of you mentally and physically – both of those things ramp up when you are captain.
Robertson says to do what he has done over such a long period is an incredible feat and he fully respects him taking this opportunity.
New Zealand Rugby CEO Mark Robinson also acknowledged Cane’s contribution so far and said he looked forward to welcoming him home later this month.
Source: chiefs.co.nz
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