His face already graces the walls of Chiefs headquarters, but Aaron Cruden's plaque for 50 games will be upgraded, after his side's Super Rugby Aotearoa match against the Crusaders.
"When I moved on from playing in New Zealand, I didn't think this would happen," he told Newshub.
And as he prepared for game 100 for the Chiefs, he remembered game one vividly, as his side slumped to a 23-19 loss to the Highlanders.
"I got charged down late in the game by Jason Rutledge and they scored," he said.
But his shift to the Chiefs was a move that so nearly didn't happen. After starting his Super Rugby career with the Hurricanes, Cruden was settling into life in Wellington.
But long-time mentor Dave Rennie was appointed to the Chiefs' top job in 2012 and his first task was to convince his Manawatu prodigy to shift north to Hamilton.
"When he rang me initially, I just said no," said Cruden. "I was pretty happy in Wellington at the time and growing up in Manawatu, that's Hurricanes country, so they were my team."
The decision left Hurricanes faithful in his hometown of Palmerston North torn. They backed Cruden all the way, but their loyalties remained with the Hurricanes.
Even eight years later, some of Cruden's faithful followers haven't forgiven him for his move.
"Still to this day, there's a few of my rugby supporters who are Hurricanes supporters and, look, I understand it," said Cruden.
But the 31-year-old has no regrets about his move. His game thrived playing under Rennie and Wayne Smith, and the Chiefs went on to win their first Super Rugby title in 2012 and back up the following year.
His stellar form saw him become a regular in the All Blacks, where he scored 322 points in 50 tests.
Cruden was unsure if he would have gone on to achieve the same things if he stayed in Wellington, but he liked to think his mindset and devotion meant he would've.
Regardless, Cruden forged a legacy at the Chiefs that left him alongside the franchise's greats, which include Liam Messam, Hika Elliott, Tanerau Latimer, Sam Cane and Stephen Donald.
"To have my name and photo up alongside some of the greats is pretty special," he said.
Join us a 3:30pm Sunday for live updates of the Highlanders v Blues Super Rugby Aotearoa clash
