Wellington, July 11, 2026
The 24-year-old Frankfurt native Anton Segner was substituted on in the 40th minute during the All Blacks' Nations Championship match against Italy in Wellington, becoming the first German player to take the field for New Zealand's national rugby team.
Segner, born in Frankfurt am Main and developed at German serial champion SC 1880 Frankfurt, moved at the age of 15 on a scholarship to Nelson, New Zealand, to attend school there. He has played for the Auckland-based Blues since 2022 and has worked his way up to vice-captain. After the past Super Rugby season, he was named to the Team of the Year.
From the Main to the Top of World Rugby
Players are eligible for the All Blacks if they have lived in New Zealand for at least five years. Segner wears jersey number 20 and plays as a loose forward. The All Blacks' head coach is Dave Rennie, who took over the position in February.
In the match against Italy, the second of the Nations Championship, New Zealand led 14:10 at halftime when Segner was brought on. In the end, the All Blacks won convincingly 47:17. It was New Zealand's 19th victory in 19 encounters with Italy. Will Jordan scored three tries and set a new All Blacks record with 50 career tries.