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A smile breaks through DJ Forbes' trademark beard when he recalls his motivation for first accepting a New Zealand sevens rugby trial.
It was three years ago and the little-known Waitemata club player had done enough at his first national championships to catch the eye of veteran coach Gordon Tietjens.
Having given the shortened game a go for the first time that summer, purely to spend time with his mates, Forbes was surprised and then tentative about the next step.
"You get so many dollars to go and trial for New Zealand. So I thought I'd just go and get a couple of extra dollars for the weekend," he said.
"I've never looked back I guess."
Forbes is the most recognisable current face in one of New Zealand's most consistently successful sports teams.
The captain's shaved head and knee-pumping charges in the middle of the park became synonymous with their world record unbeaten streak of 47 matches last year, along with the hoisting of numerous tournament trophies.
He will now get stopped when he walks the streets, and he learned the attention escalates when he ventures to the Pacific.
"If you're in the wrong place at the wrong time, you can get bombarded," he said.
"I was in Fiji for my wedding not long ago. As far as Fiji are concerned, sevens are the All Blacks."
His world before Waitemata teammate Mana Ashford shoulder-tapped him to play in some club tournaments is now hard to remember for 26-year-old Forbes.
Previously, flicking on the TV every time the annual Hong Kong sevens rolled around was his only relationship with sevens.
"I thought that's all sevens was. When I made the team, I didn't realise there were eight other tournaments that built up the world series," he said.
"It was all pretty overwhelming, but I've found it just suited me.
"The culture in sevens is a lot more family-oriented.
"In 15s you have your little groups. But in this team, they've set up this legacy.
"You hear the boys who come in and out of the team, there's nothing like the sevens environment."
However, Forbes shares the goal of nearly every sevens player - to break into the Super 14.
He transferred from Auckland to Counties-Manukau last year to get more 15s exposure on the openside flank.
"Sevens is the only reason I've hung around in New Zealand.
"If I can't crack it [in 15s] next year then I'll have to start looking offshore like some of the other sevens boys that have been in the team.
"I'm just enjoying my time with sevens ... but if I had things my way I'd be getting the same accolades somewhere else."
- NZPA
