WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Anton Segner is set to become the first player born in Germany to play for the New Zealand All Blacks when he makes his debut off the bench against Italy in the second round of rugby's Nations Championship on Saturday.
The 24-year-old backrower from the Auckland-based Blues was selected by head coach Dave Rennie among 11 changes to the lineup that beat France 34-32 in the tournament opener. Five of those changes are in the starting lineup. Segner will make his debut along with winger Josh Moorby.
Segner was born in Frankfurt and moved to New Zealand at age 15 in 2017 as an exchange student on an intended six-month stay. He attended Nelson College, the country's oldest secondary school which was involved in the first rugby match in New Zealand in 1870 and has produced 23 All Blacks.
He later led the under-20 team of the Christchurch-based Crusaders and played for the Tasman Makos in New Zealand's National Provincial Championship before joining the Blues in 2024.
Segner said he first came into contact with New Zealand rugby while playing as a 10-year-old in Frankfurt where he encountered "a whole bunch of Kiwi coaches who then inspired me to come over here to New Zealand to give it a crack."