Anton Segner will become the first German-born All Black if the uncapped back row comes off the bench in New Zealand’s Nations Championship match against Italy on Saturday.

The 24-year-old was born in Frankfurt and developed an obsession with rugby and the All Blacks after being introduced to the sport by two English schoolfriends.

He joined a local club that had New Zealanders as coaches and adopted Kiwi habits, asking his parents to make him pies and performing a haka, learned from YouTube, at a school Christmas concert.

“Talk like a Kiwi, eat like a Kiwi, dress like a Kiwi,” said Segner’s father Tim of his son’s childhood in an interview with Stuff last month., external

Aged 15, Segner moved across the world to attend Nelson College, a state school that has produced a string of All Blacks, and progressed through New Zealand’s age-grade teams before winning a contract with Super Rugby’s Auckland-based Blues.

“I’ve experienced it first hand that rugby in New Zealand is like football [soccer] in Germany,” Segner said.

“It’s a rugby-crazy country and that’s all I wanted. To make this squad now is definitely a dream come true.”

Segner may be set to become the first German-born All Black, but he is following in a remarkably similar path trod by Fabian Holland.

Holland was born and brought up in the Netherlands but, inspired by a New Zealand Sevens training camp held at his local club, set his sights on becoming an All Black.

Holland moved to Christchurch as a 16-year-old and made his New Zealand debut against France in July 2025. He was named World Rugby’s breakthrough player of the year in December.

Coach Dave Rennie has made five changes to his starting team after last weekend’s narrow victory over France, with flanker Wallace Sititi one of those coming in.

Ruben Love continues at fly-half after making his first Test start in the 34-32 success in Christchurch.

New Zealand: McKenzie; Jordan, Proctor, Barrett, Carter; Love, Roigard; de Groot, Taylor, Lomax, Darry, Vaa’i, Sititi, Jacobson, Savea.

Replacements: Taukei’aho, Bower, Tosi, Lord, Segner, Ratima, Lienert-Brown, Moorby.