Blues forward Anton Segner's parents have finally been reunited with their son, nearly three years after they farewelled him on his journey to complete high school in Nelson
Separated by the COVID-19 pandemic, it's been a long and difficult period for the family.
The teenager who left Frankfurt, Germany, for a taste of New Zealand is now a professional rugby player - with big dreams on the horizon.
Auckland's Viaduct is a long way from Frankfurt, but for Tim and Eva Segner, there's no place they'd rather be - finally reunited with son Anton after nearly three years.
"I don't think it can get much farther away for my family back in Germany," said Anton. "It is tough."
Fair to say, they've had a lot to catch up on. After excelling for the Nelson College First XV and the NZ Secondary Schools team, Segner made his debut for Tasman in 2020, before receiving a Super Rugby contract with the Blues.
"I have to pinch myself," Anton added. "Standing next to those big-name players like Beauden Barrett, the Ioane brothers, I have to pinch myself every day."
Mum and dad were forced to take in the rapid rise from back home in Frankfurt.
"In Germany, you don't really know what it means to be a Super Rugby player," mum Eva told Newshub. "To see Eden Park, how professional it all is and the whole team around him is really breathtaking."
The Segners have had to adjust. They've had to school themselves up on rugby, which holds no prominence back in Germany.
"Everything is about football, soccer, there," Tim added. "Even Anton played soccer when he was a kid."
But even from a young age, Anton always had a soft spot for rugby.
"When he was 10, he had surgery on his knees and then Tim got him an All Blacks jersey signed by the players in 2011," Eva continued. "This was hanging above his bed, so every time I would read him a bedtime story, I'd look up and see Sam Whitelock, for example."
As he posed with his idols as a child, Anton admitted he'd love to one day walk in their shoes.
"It'd definitely be special to wear the black jersey one day, but my main focus is just being the best athlete I can be."
And now, he can do so with mum and dad back by his side for the journey.
