German-born Segner 'over the moon' as All Blacks dream comes true / Photo: © AFP
German-born Segner 'over the moon' as All Blacks dream comes true
Anton Segner said he was "over the moon" after on Saturday becoming the first German-born player to represent the All Blacks, completing an unlikely dream first conceived as a nine-year-old in Frankfurt.
The Auckland Blues back-row forward came off the bench at half-time during New Zealand's Nations Championship 47-17 win against Italy in Wellington.
It completed a remarkable journey for the 24-year-old, who was inspired when watching the 2011 All Blacks win the World Cup from Germany, a country where rugby barely registers.
Undeterred, he shifted to Nelson in New Zealand specifically to improve his skills, attended boarding school and worked his way methodically up New Zealand's ultra-competitive rugby ladder.
"Back in Germany when I was nine years old it was a very very distant dream, if a dream at all," Segner told reporters after the match.
"Being able to experience that first-hand today was very special.
"I'm over the moon at the moment. The words that describe it best are a dream come true -- this is everything and a whole lot more."
Segner said he felt emotional in the days leading up to the game after his parents and two brothers flew in from Europe to watch him play.
He said during that period the scale of his achievement had also dawned on him.
"To see not just how much it means to me, but to the whole country and also to the people in Germany," he said.
"Ever since I've made the squad the amount of messages and support I've got from over there, it just shows that the All Blacks have a much bigger influence than just within New Zealand.
"It's a global sports team and I'm experiencing that with all the support I'm getting from all over the place."
J.White--VC
