Back in Cardiff, rugby became the family business.
Chris coached Kane through his formative years at St Peter’s, one of Cardiff’s strongest junior clubs.
“We had a super team,” he recalls. “A lot of us started there but we were pretty good growing up, so a lot of people wanted to join us as well.”
There is another rugby player in the family too.
Kane’s younger sister, Crystal, was named in the Wales squad to face the Barbarians earlier this summer.
At 16, James left Cardiff for Sedbergh School in Cumbria because there was no sixth form at Corpus Christi in the Welsh capital.
“I didn’t know anyone in the school. It’s four hours from Cardiff, so it can be quite daunting,” he explained.
“But I actually found it quite easy. The people were really welcoming there.”
That move eventually led him to Exeter Chiefs and, naturally, into England’s Under-20 set-up.
Like many talented young Welsh players who continue their education across the border, it became the obvious pathway.
For James, it was never about turning his back on Wales.
“It was probably the thing that was best for my development,” he said.
“Our Chiefs defence coach was the England Under-20s defence coach and it seemed like a really good system. It was quite an easy transition into that as well.”
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