In an all-male school like Tauranga Boys' College where sporting stars are demi-gods - especially ones who run with a rugby ball - they don't get much bigger than Luke Braid.
Blonde, rugged and skilled beyond belief, the 18-year-old captains the school's first XV, where he has been a regular
fixture since he was in fifth form.
His father Gary and brother Daniel have both been All Blacks and he even managed a couple of training runs with the Steamers this year.
Braid returned to school this week, not with a rugby ball tucked under his arm but with the Bronze Boot, awarded to the most constructive (read: outstanding) player in the annual New Zealand v Australia secondary schools rugby test.
Buoyed by Braid's first-half touchdown, the New Zealand schoolboys' side beat their Australian counterparts 18-8 last week in Auckland.
Braid joins a Who's Who of players to have received the prized Bronze Boot - a size 13 adidas boot dipped in bronze he gets to keep - with All Blacks Jeff Wilson, Carl Hayman, Jerry Collins, Carlos Spencer and Ben Atiga all past winners.
"A few guys said to me at the after-match function "you might get the Bronze Boot" but I didn't have a clue what they were talking about until I heard my name called out and I had to go up and get it," Braid said.
"Once I got it and saw who had won it before me I realised how big a deal it was."
Bringing the trophy back to school has fired the flanker's All Black ambitions, not that he needed it, although there's never been any pressure to walk in his family's sizeable bootprints.
"It's funny because I do feel pressure (to succeed on the rugby field), although none of it is from dad or my brother, even though I'm constantly introduced to people as the son of Gary or the younger brother of Daniel.
"People are always asking when I'm going to be an All Black, not if I even want to be an All Black. It's always been up to me to do the work to get there."
Braid was picked in the loose forwards for New Zealand schoolboys, even though he'd played hooker for the Northern Region side at the national tournament.
He enjoys the front- row but is set to carve out the rest of his career on the side of the scrum.
"I'm going to spend the next few months working on my speed, which is part of my game Dean Jennings (Bay of Plenty Rugby academy manager) and I have identified that needs work.
"I don't know that I'm big enough to play No 8 at the top and blindside flankers need to be big bastards who are also lineout options.
"If I played hooker I'd be a big hooker, but I'm also a good size to play openside. Richie McCaw has changed the whole face of what a No 7 needs to be. While not gone, the days of opensides being small, fast linkmen like Marty Holah, Ben Herring and my brother are dwindling."
Braid credits Jennings and his experience training with the Steamers for hitting his peak this season.
He was invited to opposed training work with the Steamers whenever possible, and was involved with the summer training squad earlier this year.
"Being part of the Bay Academy set-up has been a big part of me being able to hit my potential this year and Dean pushed me into getting my arse into gear since the summer.
"I've also had a taste of life as a professional rugby player being part of a few Steamers trainings ... it's given me a big insight into what I want to be doing in the next few years."
The good news for Bay supporters is Braid, whose next goal is making the New Zealand for next year's under-19 world champs in Ireland, wants to be doing it in a blue and gold jersey, the one worn by his father 124 times.
Three-test All Black Daniel played age-group rugby in the Bay but left on a scholarship to Kings College and was firmly ensconced in Auckland by the time he made his NPC debut.
"I'm taking a different path than Daniel but plenty has changed since he was in Tauranga - Bay were second division and Tauranga Boys College weren't playing in the Super 8.
"Tauranga's grown rapidly and is booming and the opportunity's there to play rugby in the first division.
"There's no real reason to bugger off anymore because it's a great place to be."
- BAY OF PLENTY TIMES
Luke Braid relaxing in Tauranga after his exploits. Picture / Mark McKeown
In an all-male school like Tauranga Boys' College where sporting stars are demi-gods - especially ones who run with a rugby ball - they don't get much bigger than Luke Braid.
Blonde, rugged and skilled beyond belief, the 18-year-old captains the school's first XV, where he has been a regular
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