Samuel Jordan Cane, or Sam Cane, is one of the top rugby union players in New Zealand. Cane is a loose forward, also known as a flanker, and has led various rugby teams, including Bay of Plenty in the Provisional league, the Chiefs in the Super Rugby league and the All Blacks, New Zealand’s national rugby team.
Brief history of Sam Cane’s career
Sam Cane was born in Rotorua in 1992 and grew up in Reporoa, a small town in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand.
Cane began his professional rugby career in 2010, aged 18. He was selected to play for the Bay of Plenty team in the ITM Cup. His athleticism and leadership skills quickly became obvious to national teams. He joined the Chiefs in 2011. Cane continued to impress rugby selectors, which resulted in him being selected for the All Blacks in 2012. His first international debut as an All Black was against Ireland.
Cane is a rugby player known for his agility and strong ball handling skills, as well as a powerful physical presence that makes him extremely effective at winning turnovers and making important tackles.
In 2018, Cane was playing in the Investec Rugby Championship match for the All Blacks against South Africa. In this game, Cane fractured his neck, which resulted in him having to get surgery. As this was such a serious injury, he had to spend a month in recovery in order to gain full mobility again. In 2019, the Chiefs team was thrilled have him back on the field. He went on to lead the team to the Quarter Finals.
It’s clear that Cane’s injury hasn’t negatively affected his impressive performance as a rugby player and captain. His wins, titles and nominations are just one way to see why Sam Cane has become one the most respectable rugby players in New Zealand.
Sam Cane’s notable titles and wins
- In 2011, Cane was a member of the New Zealand Under 20 team that won the Junior World Championship.
- Cane was also the New Zealand Rugby Age Grade Player of the Year, and was nominated for the International Age Grade Player award in 2011.
- When Cane joined the All Blacks in 2012, he was only 20 years old. He was one of the youngest players of all time to represent the All Blacks.
- Cane helped the Chiefs win their first Super Rugby title in 2012, and also led them to another win in 2013.
- Cane has played in over 70 test matches since joining the All Blacks in 2012.
- Cane was named New Zealand Rugby Player of the Year in 2015.
- Cane was captained the All Black for the first time against Namibia at the Rugby World Cups in 2015.
- Cane captained the All Blacks again in 2016 against Italy.
- Cane played his 100th game for the Chiefs in 2018.
- Since 2020, Cane has been promoted to full-time captain of the All Blacks.
- Today, Cane has 86 Test caps and has participated in 133 Super Rugby games.
We can’t wait to see what’s next!
In 2022, Sam Cane suffered another brutal injury, this time fracturing his cheekbone. Now healed, Cane is eager to make 2023 his best year yet. He will co-captain the Chiefs in Super Rugby, and captain the All Blacks in the Rugby World Cup, which is taking place in France later this year. We can’t wait to see just how far he will lead his teams this year.
Sam Cane is just as impressive off the field
Away from the game of rugby, Sam is a much loved and respected family man. In 2022, he and his wife had their first son. When looking at Cane’s social media profiles, it’s obvious how important and special his family life is to him. It’s easy to cheer for Sam Cane and hope for his success on the field; not only is he one of the top rugby players and team captains in New Zealand, but he is also a loving and caring husband and father off the field.