All Black backs Ardie Savea to succeed Sam Cane as New Zealand captain

Flanker Dalton Papali’i has endorsed reigning World Rugby Player of the Year Ardie Savea to take over the All Blacks captaincy following Sam Cane’s shock retirement announcement on Monday.

New Zealand’s incumbent skipper Cane, who led the team to the final of last year’s Rugby World Cup in France, will step away from international duty at the end of the 2024 Test season.

Cane, 32, has played 95 Test matches and has a chance of becoming the All Blacks’ 13^th centurion before heading to Japan after signing a three-year deal with Tokyo Sungoliath from next season.

The Rugby World Cup winner will still be eligible to don the black jersey this year as he’s on sabbatical with the Tokyo-based club at the moment, but that will change next year.

While coach Scott Robertson has remained tight-lipped on who the new skipper will be, Blues and All Blacks flanker Dalton Papali’i has backed Ardie Savea to step into the role.

“I don’t really have a say but last year when Sam Cane was injured, Ardie stood up in that position and he probably might be the next captain,” Papali’i said on Tuesday.

Cane’s impending departure also opens the door for a new man to follow in the footsteps of All Blacks giants by making the No. 7 jersey their own throughout the new World Cup cycle.

As well as Michael ‘Iceman’ Jones, two-time World Cup-winning captain Richie McCaw achievement unprecedented feats in that jersey and Cane was a worthy successor.

In the years to come, Papali’i appears to be in a prime position to become the All Blacks’ first-choice openside flanker after already amassing 32 Test appearances so far in his Test career.

Hurricanes duo Peter Lakai and Du’Plessis Kirifi are other worthy contenders to enter the fray of Test rugby as openside flankers, but Papali’i would have to be considered the frontrunner.

“They were both leaders,” Papali’i explained of both McCaw and Cane. “They were both All Black captains, so those are pretty big boots to fill, to be honest.

“But the good thing that we talk about is you don’t own the jersey, you just fill it with your legacy.

“I’m not going to try and be like Richie McCaw or be like Sam Cane, I want to fill it with my own flavour and my own personality.

“It’s going to be interesting,” he added.

“I’m still focusing on the Blues here, so I haven’t really thought of that at the moment, but with Sam Cane – getting to play with him and seeing the character he is and the man he is – it was a bloody privilege to be in a team with him and be captained by him.”