Rugby: Kaitaia's James Broadhurst in ABs squad

"Kaitaia kid" James Broadhurst

It was a rough night's sleep for Kaitaia-born rugby player James Broadhurst off the back of his recent inclusion in the 41-man All Blacks squad.

Putting a potential future in forestry on hold, the 201cm 'tall timber' lock has dedicated the better part of his last 10 years to reap the riches of professional rugby - and now it's finally paid off.

"That was a heated 12 hours lying in bed last night thinking about it," Broadhurst said of his selection for the All Blacks.

"Obviously it's been a goal for a long time - to finally get there is great."

Deep in the midst of preparation for a Super Rugby playoff in Wellington versus the Brumbies this weekend, Broadhurst said he has tried to focus on the here and now - especially with his addition into the All Blacks.

While trying to shut-out the hype surrounding an All Blacks debut, Broadhurst's parents Ian and Bernadette were thrilled to add their son's recent achievement to a long list accrued by him and his brother Michael Broadhurst (who plays for Japan).

"We watched it live on Sky TV yesterday - [we] opened the champagne after that," Bernadette Broadhurst said after she heard her son's name read out.

Broadhurst's dad Ian, a keen rugby man himself, said he had plenty of nerves in the build-up to the team naming.

"I was like a caged lion all day," he said.

"It's pretty special - he'd been playing good footy, he really just kicked on from that Taranaki squad that won the championship."

From his early days playing JMB rugby for Waipapakauri in Mangonui JMB's under-7s and 9s grades, Broadhurst's father really believed his son had paid his dues.

"I think he always had the potential, even from a young age." Though Broadhurst and his brother Michael (who will play for Japan in the 2015 Rugby World Cup) do not get home to Northland often, their father acknowledges they're still Northland boys at heart.

"They've got a lot of family and friends up here - they still love heading out fishing at East beach and pig hunting, anything that's outdoors."

The All Blacks squad will assemble on Wednesday for a three-day camp, minus the 18 players in the Hurricanes and Highlanders who will be preparing for this weekend's Super Rugby semifinal matches.