Gillies Kaka, middle, poses for Jockey.
Look, it's not something Gillies Kaka is overly comfortable with but, hey, if the jocks fit then he's quite prepared to wear them for now.
"It's a bit foreign to me," says the 23-year-old New Zealand representative from Hawke's Bay before the two-day Wellington Sevens kicks off today as part of the IRB Series to determine the world champions.
Kaka has copped a fair bit of ribbing from his former Hawke's Bay Magpies and current All Blacks Sevens mates since lining up with eight other rugby stars in a bid to find the new face of underwear manufacturer Jockey this week.
His teammates have plastered newspaper clippings of him and eight other contenders, resplendent in jocks and chiselled torsos in black-and-white print, on the door of his hotel room in the capital city.
"I'm open to a fair bit of flak. I think there's a bit of jealousy there," Kaka reckons.
Jockey sponsors the All Blacks and ABs Sevens teams.
No doubt, the affable utility player has received text messages from the Bay, including fellow Havelock North Rugby Club premier teammate Ihaia West.
"Westie reckons he should be there [in the photo shoot] but they [Jockey] have a height requirement so he's too short," a jocular Kaka says of Magpie West who is co-captain of the Bay Sevens team and is training with the Chiefs franchise squad in Hamilton for the Super Rugby season.
The interest in Kaka and Havelock North girlfriend Breone Lay, an Air New Zealand flight attendant based in Wellington, has foundation in the three-year sponsorship deal.
All Black Dan Carter and wife Honor Dillon, a former Black Sticks player, have struck a rapport in the modelling front but Kaka and Lay have the potential to succeed them.
Carter's decade-long stint for Jockey has ended as he contemplates a global ambassadorial role.
"She's [Lay's] pretty low key. Apart from a few low-key photo shoots, we probably don't want to follow in Dan Carter's footsteps," Kaka says.
Ribbing and laughter aside, he appreciates the significance of promoting the code and the returns from it.
"We realise we have to promote the people who pay your wages in professional sports and that's becoming more common nowadays so it's not too bad."
Needless to say, when the Gordon Tietjens-coached New Zealand begin their campaign against Fiji at 3.06pm today any thoughts of pretty-boy images will be shed at the Cake Tin.
The DJ Forbes-captained unit, including Auckland teenager Akira Ioane, will lock horns with Spain and France in their pool before tomorrow's play-offs in the fifth leg of the nine-tournament series.
Kaka says Fiji are always tough, never mind first up.
"You have to play everyone in a tournament at some stage so it's best to have Fiji first up rather than later on when their confidence is up.
"We will play our normal game and try not to get caught up in the razzle-dazzle stuff because that's what they thrive on."
As always, the expectation on the Kiwis' home turf brings different challenges but he feels it need not be a liability.
"There can be a bit more nervousness in front of the home crowd but the boys are ready to put on a spectacle," says Kaka who has been tuning his lineout throws and scrum feeds.
Asked if Tietjens is preparing him as back-up for Tomasi Cama, Kaka says it's always hard to determine what's on the coach's mind.
Mindful New Zealand have slipped up a few times in Wellington, he thinks a blue-sky forecast for the weekend will suit them to the hilt.
"If it's sunny, it'll be easy for us to shift the ball around but wet weather may play more into the hands of other teams."
Kaka says South Africa, England and Samoa pose a similar threat to Fiji.
South Africa lead the series by one point over New Zealand, who have lost player Sam Dickson (nine-match suspension) for eye gouging against third-placed Fiji in the round in Las Vegas. George Tilsley received a two-match ban for tip tackling in the same game but served it in the US before the final, which the Kiwis lost 14-7 to South Africa.
Ex-Magpie Mark Jackman and Matt Moulds have been released from the initial 14-man squad.