The former All Black, and new Highlanders personal development manager, spent part of his early years in Alexandra.
From ages 3 to 10 he lived in the Central Otago town, and played his first organised rugby in the area.
He is back in the South after a roundabout route which involved time in both Japan and the United Kingdom.
His new role involves working off the field with players, helping them find a path to pursue after their rugby career has ended.
All franchises and provincial unions have the positions, which are seen as important to enable players to mark out a career path after they have hung up the boots.
"They are not going to be playing rugby for the rest of their lives, so my job is about making sure they explore all the options away from the rugby field," Ranby said.
It was a matter of "providing a bit of balance away from the rugby field and something they might pick up away from the rugby field".
Ranby said the professionalism and the pressures on players in rugby was ever-increasing and proving quite a challenge.
"We are trying to put in place something for the players so they are not having such a jolt when they step out of professional rugby. . .
"Some guys find it hard."
Under the collective agreement, players have half a day a week to work on personal development and find jobs which may spike their interest.
Ranby, who has taken over from the long-serving Peter Sinclair, who has retired, had no aspirations to coach.
He had spent five years in Christchurch with the Crusaders in a similar role, but has family connections in the South which was one of the reasons for the decision to move.
In the rugby world where it is not seven degrees of separation but two at the most, Ranby’s wife, Sarah (nee White) hails from Dunedin. Her brother is former top referee Jono White, who is now working in heart surgery in the United States.
A former midfield back, Ranby has tripped around since the end of his playing days in New Zealand in the mid 2000s.
He started his first-class rugby career in Palmerston North and played for the short-lived Central Vikings, after making his debut for Manawatu in 1996. He then moved to Waikato and played there until 2006 before leaving for Japan to play for Coco-Cola.
He played his one and only test in 2001, coming on as a second-half substitute against Samoa at North Harbour Stadium. Ranby almost became the 1000th All Black when making his appearance but that honour went to Otago prop Carl Hayman, only because of the alphabet.
Ranby went to Cambridge University after his time in Japan, where he gained a diploma in theology and religious studies. He played in the annual university match against Oxford, facing off against former Highlanders captain Anton Oliver.