during the Super Rugby Semi Final match between the Hurricanes and the Brumbies at Westpac Stadium on June 27, 2015 in Wellington, New Zealand.
during the Super Rugby Semi Final match between the Hurricanes and the Brumbies at Westpac Stadium on June 27, 2015 in Wellington, New Zealand.
during the Super Rugby Semi Final match between the Hurricanes and the Brumbies at Westpac Stadium on June 27, 2015 in Wellington, New Zealand.

Dane Coles reckons his new status as Hurricanes captain is proof that sport can transform a troubled character.

All Blacks hooker Coles will replace Conrad Smith as skipper of Super Rugby's nearly team, with TJ Perenara their new vice-captain.

Coach Chris Boyd says the pair are both potentially long-term leaders of the only New Zealand side yet to win a title, a drought they came painfully close to ending this year after hosting the final.

For 28-year-old Coles, selection in the All Blacks was a first step in moving on from a troubled period of his life when he had several brushes with the law.

It goes to another level now he's been handed leadership responsibilities, helping to revoke a past which includes convictions for fighting in public and drunk driving.

Read more at FoxSports.com.au