Rookie wing Emoni Narawa has shared details of the "emotional" moment he discovered he'd been selected for the All Blacks' Rugby World Cup squad.
One of the breakthrough stars of Super Rugby Pacific, Narawa was called up for the Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup squad.
The 23-year-old Chiefs dynamo impressed during his test debut against Argentina but suffered a back injury that curtailed the rest of his campaign, putting him in a hotly contested race to earn a place in the outside backs contingent for France.
Touching down from their return flight from Dunedin on Sunday after the final Bledisloe Cup test, coach Ian Foster approached Narawa and his partner at baggage claim to deliver the news of a lifetime - a moment made all the more sentimental by being able to share it with his beloved.
"We got off the plane and were just walking to grab our bags when [Foster] pulled me and my partner aside and pretty much just told us that I've made the squad," Narawa explained to Newshub.
"Me and my partner started tearing up straight away… it was quite emotional.
"Special times."
Narawa joins fellow 2023 newcomers Cam Roigard and Tamaiti Williams on the plane to France, alongside wing colleagues Caleb Clarke, Leicester Fainga'anuku and Will Jordan.
The injury prognosis is promising for the Fijian-born flyer, who returned to team training in Dunedin last week and hopes to get back to full contact next week.
"Back up and running," he said, no pun intended. "Hopefully do a little bit more contact next week and see how it goes."
The All Blacks open their World Cup campaign against France on September 9 (NZ time).
