Osborne swaps boots for guitar strings in taking on the Lions

Glen Osborne taking on the Lions.

Whanganui police constable and former All Black Glen Osborne is taking on the Lions without lacing up a single boot.

Osborne fronts a feel-good video that has taken the country by storm and which aims to whip up patriotic fervour as the English rugby challengers take on New Zealand's toughest and bravest.

In the video Osborne wants New Zealand fans to out-sing touring Lion's supporters.

The classic Maori song Tutira Mai is used as the rallying cry to drown out Lions' supporters in the stands.

Pulling up in a police car Osborne questions a group of boys looking downcast near a poster urging supporters to silence the highly vocal Lions' tour party in the stands.

"We out roar them with what officer?" asks a boy.

"Good point. Not having our own rally cry would be a crime and I should know," replies Osborne before going to the boot and reaching for his guitar.

Encouraging the country to stand together he leads the well-known song in a rendition that features people from all walks of life alongside an array of the nation's top sportspeople.

The two-minute Tutira Mai clip is quickly gained traction on social media with more than 250,000 views in its first hours of release.

Osborne is better known as 'Ozzy' or 'Oz' and is one of New Zealand's most humorous sporting heroes.

He was born and bred in the back blocks of the Wanganui District and grew up understanding that to achieve anything you had to work hard.

He played representative rugby for Wanganui in the National Provincial Championship from 1990-1991, then for North Harbour from 1992. He represented the Waikato Chiefs in the Super 12 competition from 1996.

He made his test debut for the All Blacks against Canada in 1995, scoring two tries, and was the All Blacks' first choice as full back during the 1995 Rugby World Cup, where he played in five of New Zealand's six matches.

Osborne continued to play internationally until 1999, playing 19 test matches plus two appearances as a replacement. His final test was a 1999 Rugby World Cup match against Italy, where he scored two tries. He scored a career total of 11 test tries.

After retiring from rugby Osborne spent most of his time boosting and hosting sport programmes on TV and often commentating at the NZI Wellington Sevens.

He's an entertaining, down-to-earth speaker and MC.

He graduated as a constable for the New Zealand Police at the age of 44 in 2016 and is stationed here in his hometown Whanganui.

The Lions take on Canterbury's Crusaders on Saturday having beaten a Barbarians side and lost to the Blues.