Chiefs: Sam Cane ready, willing and able

They've had All Blacks come and go, as well as a raft of coaches over the past eight years, but Bay of Plenty yesterday hooked the one they wanted when exciting openside flanker Sam Cane inked a new deal tying him to the Steamers for the next three ITM Cup seasons.

Cane signed an initial contract with Bay of Plenty Rugby in 2009 while still at Reporoa College and capturing his signature is a coup for the Steamers, with the tearaway seen as near the head of the queue of All Blacks flanker Richie McCaw's heirs apparent.

A finalist for IRB junior player of the year in 2011, the 20-year-old said it wasn't a difficult decision committing to the Bay until 2014.

"I'm a Bay man through-and-through and have never played for any other union," Cane said yesterday while enjoying a midweek rest from Chiefs training ahead of Saturday's opening game of the Super 15 season against the Highlanders in Hamilton.

"I can't see myself playing for anyone other than Bay of Plenty in the foreseeable future."

Cane attracted interest from other unions but left it to his agents, Auckland-based Essentially Group, who also have Dan Carter and McCaw on their books, to stitch together the deal.

"In the end it was pretty easy. I'm getting the opportunities with the Bay and have been happy with everything they've done for me so far.

"It's an exciting time for the Steamers this year with Herb [Kevin Schuler] back holding the coaching reins and I'd love to push on and go even better in the ITM Cup after being one win away from the final last season.

"There's a lot of new guys coming through and five of this year's forward pack will be from the [New Zealand] under-20s side so it's exciting."

Mike Rogers, Bay of Plenty Rugby Union chief executive, said getting Cane back in blue and gold long term was a key objective.

"Any provincial union in the country would love to have Sam representing them. He epitomises everything we want in a player.

"Not only is he an outstanding rugby talent, he is also a quality individual with excellent values."

In just three years, Cane has graduated from playing secondary schools rugby for Reporoa College to a permanent place in the Super 15 with the Chiefs, although he's happy the graft on the training paddock is over and the competition is about to kick off.

"We've been training now for almost three months and although I wouldn't say I'm sick of it, it's about perfect timing that we're going to start. There's still a lot I want to achieve in rugby and hopefully I'm only just getting started.

"The obvious goal is to be the starting seven for the Chiefs by the end of the season but ultimately it's making the All Blacks."