All Blacks winger Cory Jane is used to dodging his way out of tricky situations.

But when it came to the birth of his second child, no amount of side-stepping could save the renowned speedster. Cory missed the early arrival of his first son Cassius, now three, while he was in Canada playing rugby for the New Zealand Maori side. So the 26-year-old was determined not to miss being with wife Amie for the birth of Tennyson Terrell Jane three months ago.

Typically cool and collected on the field, Cory says he's never been so nervous as he was in the days leading up to his wife's labour. 'I was panicking,' he tells New Idea. 'I had no idea what to expect. It was 10 times worse than getting ready for a game.'

Amie, 28, says her husband's anxiety-fuelled antics made for a very interesting labour.

'By the time we got to the hospital he was being the biggest clown,' she says. 'He had doctors' gloves on his head and was fiddling around with medicine. I had to say to him, "When it gets really bad, you're going to have to shut up or else I'll have you thrown out." But it was good because when I was coming out of a contraction, I was cracking up laughing.'

Amie experienced false contractions weeks earlier than her due date, but when the time came, little Tennyson's debut was swift. Amie believes having her husband of three years and partner of more than seven years by her side made all the difference.

'It was amazing having Cory,' Amie says. 'When I was giving birth to Cassius I was so upset and preoccupied that Cory was going to miss it. This time, it was four pushes and he was out. I was so much more relaxed.'

For proud dad Cory, the arrival of his baby boy left him speechless.

'It was pretty cool,' he fondly recalls. 'Being able to be there with Amie was special – hearing her groaning on the end of the phone last time was hard because I couldn't do anything.

'Doing it without any pain relief was pretty tough too,' he concedes with a smile.

For the next two weeks, Cory squeezed in as many cuddles as possible with his wee man before jetting off with the All Blacks for their seven-week tour of Europe.'It was hard leaving so early on, but because he was so young, he was unaware of it. It doesn't affect him like it does Cassius.'

It was also difficult for Cory to leave Amie to care for both a newborn and Cassius, who suffers from Tuberous Sclerosis.

A rare genetic condition that neither Cory nor Amie carry, it's characterised by non-malignant tumours on various organs as well as small skin pigmentations, seizures, behavioural problems and learning difficulties.

'We hang out heaps,' Cory says. 'So it's hard for him to understand when I go away.'

Cory speaks to his family as much as possible, and his teammates help ease the burden the young father feels when he's away from his family.'A lot of us guys are in the same boat when we're away and we're always talking about our kids, so it makes it easier.'

Trying times

For Amie, making family life run smoothly without Cory's support is daunting, and she couldn't have anticipated how many challenges she would face on his most recent trip away. Around the time the rugby star left their Wellington home, both boys caught the flu and Amie started bleeding heavily.

'I was literally up all night running from one room to the other, beside myself, thinking, "How the heck am I going to cope?" The first couple of weeks were a nightmare, but then we got into a good routine. I'd ask people around for dinner just so I had an extra pair of hands!'

Although Cory and Amie were hesitant to put Cassius on medication at first, they've reached a point where it's become a necessity.'We were on holiday in the US in July, and one day he had 13 seizures,' Amie says. 'His specialist had told us that because they were so short [in duration] his brain wasn't being affected, but it was clear something needed to be done.'

Despite an increase in appetite and the possibility of hair loss and more severe behavioural problems, Cassius' medication has put a stop to the seizures, which would render him unconscious and usually lasted about 25 seconds.

'It's been a blessing,' Amie says, 'Not just for his own health but in terms of managing him as well. He now sleeps through the night which is a godsend. We can handle anything as long as he's healthy.'

After Cassius was diagnosed with Tuberous Sclerosis at 15 months, Cory and Amie were reluctant to try for another baby. But extensive clinical tests allayed fears that one of them could carry the gene.

Just to be on the safe side, the couple saved Tennyson's cord blood, in case he needs it one day. There's also the possibility that Tennyson's stem cells could be compatible with his older brother should he require treatment.

'We didn't even know it was an option when Cassius was born,' Amie says. 'Should either of the boys need it for anything then hopefully it will help. It's the best insurance policy you could ever have.'

As if Cassius knows how precious his little brother is, he kisses little Tennyson, whom the family have nicknamed 'Tenny Benny' because he's an old soul, just like Brad Pitt's character in the movie The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

With pre-season training starting up again next month, Cory and Amie are making the most of treasured family time.

They've embarked on a summer training regimen, spearheaded by dance teacher and former cheerleader Amie, who's determined to shed most of the 28kg that crept on while she was pregnant.

'Fatty foods and fizzy drinks were the only things I could keep down at the beginning,' she says. 'And the worst thing was, it didn't even taste good. It was awful.

'I'm no Posh Spice,' she adds. 'I've got hips and boobs, but I just want to be fitter and healthier.'

And despite the challenges Cory's profession can bring, Amie's proud to support her husband and his soaring career.
'With rugby you can fly so high but it can be so short-lived,' she says. 'You've got to make the most of it while you can. I'm competitive too, so I realise that if you do something you have to strive to be the best. Whenever

I feel fed up I remind myself that it's not going to be forever.'

And Cory knows how lucky he is to have a wife like Amie. Glancing down at his boys, sleeping soundly in their arms,

a smile crosses his face.

'Life's good,' he says. 'I've got everything I need right here.'