Play of the day: Naked Highlanders halfback surprises hosts

Otago Highlanders loose forward Joe Wheeler is joined live on air by half-naked halfback Fumiaki Tanaka. Photo / YouTube.

You can always count on a cheeky halfback to steal the show.

When Otago Highlanders loose forward Joe Wheeler was being interviewed on the Crowd Goes Wild on Wednesday, 30-year old Japanese halfback Fumiaki Tanaka popped up on live TV in just his underpants to shock the hosts into fits of laughter.

Wheeler was previewing tomorrow night's Super Rugby match between the Highlanders and the Blues when Tanaka crawled up onto the couch and nuzzled his head into Wheeler's body.

"Oh fantastic, that's fantastic," said Crowd Goes Wild host Andrew Mulligan. "It's cold down there."

"This is my little pet, Fumi," said Wheeler.

Tanaka is in his third year with the Highlanders and is arguably their most popular player with the media.

Tanaka, who stands 1.63m tall and weighs 75kgs has been on the cover of magazines, will be the subject of a documentary and has also made the pages of the New York Times.

He was the first Japanese player to play the game at Super Rugby level and is big news back in Japan.