Richard McCaw, or ‘Richie’ as he is widely known, is a key figure for the All Blacks and is generally recognised as the world’s best openside flanker.

Player Media:

Richard McCaw, or ‘Richie’ as he is widely known, is a key figure for the All Blacks and is generally recognised as the world’s best openside flanker.

McCaw has the size and strength to be a punishing defender, the cool head and quick hands required to master the breakdown area, and the speed and handling skills to play a traditional tearaway’s linking role to superb effect. McCaw was named as All Blacks captain for the first time for the Test against Wales in 2004 aged just 23. He led the side in 12 Tests in 2006.

He was sidelined for the middle part of 2004 with a head injury, but came back mid-way through the Air New Zealand NPC to captain the Canterbury side to a stunning final victory over Wellington. He earned the Air New Zealand NPC Division One Player of the Year for his effort.

A tireless worker who reads the game well, McCaw was voted as Newcomer of the Year by the International Rugby Players Association in 2002.

He was brought up in North Otago and educated at Otago Boys High, where he played his rugby at No 8.

Had an outstanding 2003 Rugby World Cup and won the New Zealand player of the year award at the 2006 and 2003 Steinlager Rugby Awards.

He was awarded the IRB Player of the Year award in 2006 after being a finalist in both the International Rugby Players Association and IRB awards in 2003 and again for the IRB in 2005.

McCaw led Canterbury to the NPC title in 2004 and then took the Crusaders to back-to-back Super 14 titles in 2005 and 2006 before assuming command of the national team.

In 2008 McCaw would rebound from the dissapointment of the World Cup to again lead the Crusaders to success in the Rebel Sport Super 14, and then would come back from injury early in the test season to lead the All Blacks to another Investec Tri Nations title and a Grand Slam of the home nations.

The following year injury would again rob McCaw the chance to lead the All Blacks into battle against France, but would return at the beginning of the Tri Nations but would be unable to prevent the Springboks from grabbing the title.  However McCaw would be prominent in matches against the Wallabies and in the end of year tour, leading to the All Blacks captain capturing the IRB World Player of the Year title, becoming the first player to capture the award twice.

At the start of the 2010 Super 14, McCaw would be rested for the opening stages of the tournament, before coming back to feature despite the new law interpretations that many believed would curtail the influence of the mercurial openside.

Career Comments:

• Air New Zealand NPC Division One Player of the Year, 2004 & 2002
• Kelvin Tremain Memorial Trophy for Player of the Year, 2003, 2006
• Under 21 Player of the Year, 2001
• Scored the All Blacks' first two tries of Rugby World Cup 2007, against Italy at Marseille.
• Received the 2006 IRB and NZRU Player of the Year Awards.
• Was the only All Blacks player to play in all seven of the team’s winter Tests in 2007 and the only All Black to start in 12 Tests in 2006.
• With victory in one of the All Blacks’ first three matches at the Rugby World Cup, he will become the fastest player ever to reach 50 Test wins.
• Is the 60th All Blacks Test captain. Named as All Blacks captain for the first time against Wales in 2004 at the age of just 23.
• Received the IRB Newcomer of the Year Award in 2001.

New Zealand Representative Teams:

New Zealand Under 19 in 1999
New Zealand Under 21 in 2000, 2001
All Blacks in 2001–2010

Test match Record by Year:
(+) = substitute  (-) = replaced

(+) = substitute; (-) = replaced

2001
Nov 17 v Ireland at Dublin 40-29
Nov 24 v Scotland at Edinburgh 37-6
Dec 1 v Argentina at Buenos Aires 24-20

2002
Jun 15 v Ireland at Dunedin 15-6
Jun 22 v Ireland at Auckland 40-8 (-)
Jul 13 v Australia at Christchurch 12-6
Jul 20 v South Africa at Wellington 41-20 (-)
Aug 3 v Australia at Sydney 14-16
Aug 10 v South Africa at Durban 30-23

2003
Jun 14 v England at Wellington 13-15
Jun 28 v France at Christchurch 31-23
Jul 19 v South Africa at Pretoria 52-16 (-)
Jul 26 v Australia at Sydney 50-21 (-)
Aug 16 v Australia at Auckland 21-17
Oct 11 v Italy at Melbourne 70-7 (-)
Oct 17 v Canada at Melbourne 68-6 (+)
Oct 24 v Tonga at Brisbane 91-7 (+)
Nov 2 v Wales at Sydney 53-37
Nov 8 v South Africa at Melbourne 29-9 (-)
Nov 15 v Australia at Sydney 10-22
Nov 20 v France at Sydney 40-13

2004
Jun 12 v England at Dunedin 36-3 (-)
Jun 26 v Argentina at Hamilton 41-7 (-)
Nov 13 v Italy at Rome 59-10
Nov 20 v Wales at Cardiff 26-25
Nov 27 v France at Paris 45-6

2005
Jun 10 v Fiji at Albany 91-0 (-)
Jun 25 v British & Irish Lions at Christchurch 21-3
Jul 2 v British & Irish Lions at Wellington 48-18
Aug 7 v South Africa at Cape Town 16-22
Aug 13 v Australia at Sydney 30-13
Aug 27 v South Africa at Dunedin 31-27
Sep 3 v Australia at Auckland 34-24
Nov 5 v Wales at Cardiff 41-3 (+)
Nov 12 v Ireland at Dublin 45-7 (-)
Nov 26 v Scotland at Edinburgh 29-10 (-)

2006
Jun 10 v Ireland at Hamilton 34-23
Jun 17 v Ireland at Auckland 27-17
Jul 8 v Australia at Christchurch 32-12
Jul 22 v South Africa at Wellington 35-17 (-)
Jul 29 v Australia at Brisbane 13-9
Aug 19 v Australia at Auckland 34-27
Aug 26 v South Africa at Pretoria 45-26
Sep 2 v South Africa at Rustenberg 20-21
Nov 5 v England at London 41-20
Nov 12 v France at Lyon 47-3 (-)
Nov 19 v France at Paris 23-11
Nov 26 v Wales at Cardiff 45-10

2007
2 Jun v France at Auckland 42-11 (-)
9 Jun v France at Wellington 61-10 (-)
16 Jun v Canada at Hamilton 64-13 (+)
23 June v South Africa at Durban 26-21
30 June v Australia at Melbourne 15-20
14 July v South Africa at Christchurch 33-6
21 July v Australia at Auckland 26-12
8 Sept v Italy (RWC) at Marseille 76-14 (-)
23 Sep v Scotland at Edinburgh 40-0 (-)
30 Sept v Romania (RWC) at Toulouse 85-8 (+)
7 Sept v France (RWC) at Cardiff 18-20

2008
7 June v Ireland at Wellington 21-11
14 Jun v England at Auckland 37-20
21 Jun v England at Christchurch 44-12 (-)
2 Aug v Australia at Auckland 39-10
17 Aug v South Africa at Capetown 19-0
13 Sept v Australia at Brisbane 28-24
1 Nov v Australia at Hong Kong 19-14
9 Nov v Scotland at Edinburgh 32-6 (+)
16 Nov v Ireland at Dublin 22-3
23 Nov v Wales at Cardiff 29-9
30 Nov v England at London 32-6

2009
18 July v Australia at Auckland 22-16
26 July v South Africa at Bloemfontain 19-28
2 Aug v South Africa at Durban 19-31
22 Aug v Australia at Sydney 19-18
12 Sept v South Africa at Hamilton 29-32
19 Sept v Australia at Wellington 33-6
31 Oct v Australia at Tokyo 32-19
8 Nov v Wales at Cardiff 19-12
22 Nov v England at London 19-6
29 Nov v France at Marseilles 39-12
6 Dec v Barbarians at London 18-25 (-)

2010
12 June v Ireland at New Plymouth 66-28
19 June v Wales at Dunedin 42-9
26 Jun v Wales at Hamilton 29-10
10 July v South Africa at Auckland 32-12
17 July v South Africa at Wellington 31-17 (-)
31 July v Australia at Melbourne 49-28
7 Aug v Australia at Christchurch 20-10
22 Aug v South Africa at Johannesburg 29-22