Skipper.

All Blacks boss Ian Foster has named flanker Sam Cane the man to succeed Kieran Read as New Zealand captain following his international retirement.

28-year-old Cane, who made his international debut back 2012, has accumulated 68 caps for the national side and first took over the match-day captaincy against Namibia at the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

Foster gave Cane his first start with the Chiefs back in 2011 when he coached the Super Rugby side with the pair clearly developing a special bond that will now see them lead the most feared nation in the world on the international stage.

But his selection will come at a surprise to most with Cane spending much of last season sidelined with a serious neck injury. Many will say he’s far from guaranteed his spot in the starting line-up and would rather have seen someone like Sam Whitelock named.