Well, he has more than moved to the big stage.
After scoring the winning try for Japan in its huge upset win over South Africa at the Rugby World Cup yesterday morning, Hesketh and his team mates are the biggest story in sport.
Hesketh, who played 35 games on the wing for Otago before moving to Japan in early 2010, scored in the 85th minute to give the Cherry Blossoms the 34-32 win, only Japan's second at the World Cup and the biggest upset in RWC history.
Until yesterday, Japan had played 24 games at the RWC for just one win - against Zimbabwe back in 1991.
Hesketh came on with under 10 minutes to go in yesterday's game and made the difference, getting on the end of a Japanese back move and scoring in the tackle of Springbok winger JP Pietersen.
Hesketh (30) went to Napier Boys' High School and came south to study at the University of Otago.
Napier Boys' headmaster Ross Brown said Hesketh was a strong all round athlete and excelled at high jump, too.
''He's a chunky fella but he's powerful and very explosive.''
Former Alhambra Union coach Mike Moeahu said when Hesketh arrived at the club he was a flanker.
''Then he was playing second five eighth and I saw the things that he could do so we put him out on the wing,'' he said.
''He's got so much power and pace. He did things like he did today.
''He could always do something special.''
Alhambra-Union club captain Hugh Tait said he was ''just a blockbusting runner. He ran around people, over people. He was great.''
For Otago he set training records in squats, leg presses and box jumps.
Hesketh scored some top tries for Otago in 2009 but was not selected by the Highlanders and decided to head to Japan in early 2010 and took up a contract with Fukuoka Sanix Blues.
He has been at the club since and made his debut for the national side last year.
Mr Moeahu said he thought the rugby in Japan suited him. Hesketh is the partner of former Black Ferns winger Carla Hohepa, who won a Rugby World Cup with the Black Ferns in 2010, and the couple have a son, Cohen.
Hohepa said she watched the game alongside her family at her home just outside Hamilton.
''We were all up at 3am screaming the house down,'' she said.
''I had mixed emotions. I was happy with Japan that they won and proud but I was sad at the same time that I wasn't there to support Karne and support the team and witness history.''
Hohepa is instead at a camp for the New Zealand sevens team and hopes to get to the UK next week.
She said after the match the pair, who have been together for nine years, Skyped.
''He didn't have much to say. I guess he was still in shock and couldn't quite believe what happened.
''He had a massive grin on his face, which said it all.''
In Napier, proud grandmother Joy Pettit, having already watched the match with husband Norm twice - live and recorded - said: ''I laugh. It was that rugby team that did all the work - Karne just came on for three minutes, and scored the try,'' she said.
But, she said, that was not to in any way diminish the achievement, for ever since she started taking Karne down to Napier Tech training at Whitmore Park when he was 5 her grandson had trained hard and worked hard.
''It's a job now.
''Everyone's very proud. They're excited. He deserves it,'' she said.
Hesketh was not the only Otago connection in the victorious Japanese side yesterday.
Halfback Fumiaki Tanaka, who played for Otago in 2012 13 and the past three seasons for the Highlanders, and hooker Shota Horie, who played for Otago in 2012, also started the game for Japan.
Additional reporting by NZME.
