No resting on his laurels for Franks | Canterbury Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Canterbury

You've just turned 24, won a Rugby World Cup, are young enough to play in a couple more, and cemented a place in New Zealand rugby history.

How do you top that?

For Crusaders tighthead prop Owen Franks the answer is straightforward: Win the Super championship this season.

Franks, who made his Crusaders debut the season after their last title triumph in 2008, has played two semifinals and a losing final, and wants to go one better this year.

"To win one would be awesome," he said.

And, grim news for other Super teams, he is confident the Crusaders can do so this season.

"The work ethic I've seen this year has been unlike anything I've seen in the past with the Crusaders," he said.

"Everyone's professionalism has stepped up a lot in terms of recovery, standards, and work ethic out in the field and in the gym. Everyone is really focused and it looks like a good year."

Franks is back refreshed from a three-week holiday in Boston, New York, and Hawaii with his girlfriend Emma. The trip included going to the Giants v Patriots American football match and welcome anonymity after a pressure-cooker year.

He dismisses any suggestion that the RWC All Blacks could be stale.

"We've got commitments with the Crusaders now and we had a good break. It's been the biggest break we've had in a few years," Franks said.

Although at 24 he has achieved what only a handful of players have managed, Franks is hungry for more rugby success.

"It's awesome to be able to win a World Cup at such a young age, but I still know in my career I've got a long way to go.

"So although it's quite thrilling to win a World Cup as I know personally, I'm not all satisfied yet, and I know I've got a lot more to achieve. Winning the World Cup is great, but it's in the past, and I'm trying to be better."

The Crusaders have absorbed lessons from last year's loss to the Reds at the final hurdle, after they played every match away from home in an epic season.

He feels no disappointment about the loss in Brisbane, since he came off Suncorp feeling he'd given it 100 per cent.

Franks has also set himself goals for improving his own game. "... doing a bit more work in post-the-tackle and defence, getting up over the ball and being a nuisance there. And I know my scrummaging can still improve. I can improve everywhere, ball carrying ... there's still lots of areas to improve and I just want to keep taking my game and keep notching it up," he said.

Away from rugby Franks and his brother, Ben, have a gym business, Reebok Cross Fit Canterbury, which recently moved into new premises in Montreal St. Their old gym in Moorhouse Ave was not affected by the quakes, but a steadily growing membership meant they had to move. Their father Ken Franks runs it for them.

The Crusaders meet the Highlanders in Greymouth next Friday in their first 2012 match.