Flanker Sam Cane has been appointed the new captain of the All Blacks, following Kieran Read’s retirement after the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

The 28-year-old, who made his Test debut in 2012, has 68 caps and was part of the World Cup-winning team in 2015.

"There's massive respect for Sam amongst the players and management,” said new head coach Ian Foster.

Foster replaced Steve Hansen as head coach of New Zealand after the 2019 World Cup.

“He's perfectly placed to lead the All Blacks into the future.”

Cane, who captains the Chiefs in Super Rugby, suffered a serious neck injury in 2018 but recovered in time for the World Cup in Japan, where New Zealand lost to England in the semi-finals.

The forward said of his new role: “It’s a pretty exciting challenge really and as I've spent more time in the All Blacks and grown as a player, I've become a lot more comfortable being a leader in the team.”