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.
NZRU Annual Awards
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
Career Notes
• 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 2001–2008
Stats - Below figures correct as at 1 July 2008
Provincial Caps 28
Provincial Points 45 (9t)
Provincial Debut 2000 v North Harbour
Super Rugby Caps 83
Super Rugby Points 105 (21t)
Super Rugby Debut 2001 v Hurricanes
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FULL NAME |
Richard Hugh McCaw |
BORN |
Wednesday, 31 December 1980 in Oamaru |
AGE |
29 |
PHYSICAL |
1.87m, 105kg |
POSITION |
Flanker |
LAST SCHOOL |
Otago Boys' High |
RUGBY CLUB
(First made All Blacks from) |
Christchurch |
PROVINCE |
Canterbury |
SUPER 14 TEAM |
Crusaders |
RUGBY NICKNAME |
Fluffy |
ALL BLACK DEBUT |
Saturday, 17 November 2001
v Ireland at Dublin
aged 20 years, 321 days |
INTERNATIONAL DEBUT |
Saturday, 17 November 2001
v Ireland at Dublin
aged 20 years, 321 days |
LAST TEST |
Saturday, 31 July 2010
v Australia at Melbourne
aged 29 years, 212 days |
ALL BLACK TESTS |
86 (49 as Captain) |
ALL BLACK GAMES |
1 (1 as Captain) |
TOTAL ALL BLACK MATCHES |
87 (50 as Captain) |
ALL BLACK TEST POINTS |
85pts (17t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m) |
ALL BLACK GAME POINTS |
0pts |
TOTAL ALL BLACK POINTS |
85pts (17t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m) |
ALL BLACK NUMBER |
1014 |
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The All Black Games that McCaw has played.
(+) = substitute; (-) = replaced |
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Click on the date to be taken to the Match Card |
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2001 |
17 Nov vs Ireland at Dublin 40-29 |
24 Nov vs Scotland at Edinburgh 37-6 |
1 Dec vs Argentina at Buenos Aires 24-20 |
2002 |
15 Jun vs Ireland at Dunedin 15-6 |
22 Jun vs Ireland at Auckland 40-8 (-) |
13 Jul vs Australia at Christchurch 12-6 |
20 Jul vs South Africa at Wellington 41-20 (-) |
3 Aug vs Australia at Sydney 14-16 |
10 Aug vs South Africa at Durban 30-23 |
2003 |
14 Jun vs England at Wellington 13-15 |
28 Jun vs France at Christchurch 31-23 |
19 Jul vs South Africa at Pretoria 52-16 (-) |
26 Jul vs Australia at Sydney 50-21 (-) |
16 Aug vs Australia at Auckland 21-17 |
11 Oct vs Italy at Melbourne 70-7 (-) |
17 Oct vs Canada at Melbourne 68-6 (+) |
24 Oct vs Tonga at Brisbane 91-7 (+) |
2 Nov vs Wales at Sydney 53-37 |
8 Nov vs South Africa at Melbourne 29-9 (-) |
15 Nov vs Australia at Sydney 10-22 |
20 Nov vs France at Sydney 40-13 |
2004 |
12 Jun vs England at Dunedin 36-3 (-) |
26 Jun vs Argentina at Hamilton 41-7 (-) |
13 Nov vs Italy at Rome 59-10 (-) |
20 Nov vs Wales at Cardiff 26-25 (Captain) |
27 Nov vs France at Paris 45-6 |
2005 |
10 Jun vs Fiji at Albany 91-0 (-) |
25 Jun vs British & Irish Lions at Christchurch 21-3 |
2 Jul vs British & Irish Lions at Wellington 48-18 |
6 Aug vs South Africa at Capetown 16-22 |
13 Aug vs Australia at Sydney 30-13 |
27 Aug vs South Africa at Dunedin 31-27 |
3 Sep vs Australia at Auckland 34-24 |
5 Nov vs Wales at Cardiff 41-3 (+) |
12 Nov vs Ireland at Dublin 45-7 (-) (Captain) |
26 Nov vs Scotland at Edinburgh 29-10 (-) |
2006 |
10 Jun vs Ireland at Hamilton 34-23 (Captain) |
17 Jun vs Ireland at Auckland 27-17 (Captain) |
8 Jul vs Australia at Christchurch 32-12 (Captain) |
22 Jul vs South Africa at Wellington 35-17 (-) (Captain) |
29 Jul vs Australia at Brisbane 13-9 (Captain) |
19 Aug vs Australia at Auckland 34-27 (Captain) |
26 Aug vs South Africa at Pretoria 45-26 (Captain) |
2 Sep vs South Africa at Rustenberg 20-21 (Captain) |
5 Nov vs England at London 41-20 (Captain) |
11 Nov vs France at Lyon 47-3 (-) (Captain) |
18 Nov vs France at Paris 23-11 (Captain) |
25 Nov vs Wales at Cardiff 45-10 (Captain) |
2007 |
2 Jun vs France at Auckland 42-11 (-) (Captain) |
9 Jun vs France at Wellington 61-10 (-) (Captain) |
16 Jun vs Canada at Hamilton 64-13 (+) |
23 Jun vs South Africa at Durban 26-21 (Captain) |
30 Jun vs Australia at Melbourne 15-20 (Captain) |
14 Jul vs South Africa at Christchurch 33-6 (Captain) |
21 Jul vs Australia at Auckland 26-12 (Captain) |
8 Sep vs Italy at Marseille 76-14 (-) (Captain) |
23 Sep vs Scotland at Edinburgh 40-0 (-) (Captain) |
29 Sep vs Romania at Toulouse 85-8 (+) |
6 Oct vs France at Cardiff 18-20 (Captain) |
2008 |
7 Jun vs Ireland at Wellington 21-11 (Captain) |
14 Jun vs England at Auckland 37-20 (Captain) |
21 Jun vs England at Christchurch 44-12 (-) (Captain) |
2 Aug vs Australia at Auckland 39-10 (Captain) |
16 Aug vs South Africa at Cape Town 19-0 (Captain) |
13 Sep vs Australia at Brisbane 28-24 (Captain) |
1 Nov vs Australia at Hong Kong 19-14 (Captain) |
8 Nov vs Scotland at Edinburgh 32-6 (+) |
15 Nov vs Ireland at Dublin 22-3 (Captain) |
22 Nov vs Wales at Cardiff 29-9 (Captain) |
29 Nov vs England at London 32-6 (Captain) |
2009 |
18 Jul vs Australia at Auckland 22-16 (Captain) |
25 Jul vs South Africa at Bloemfontein 19-28 (Captain) |
1 Aug vs South Africa at Durban 19-31 (Captain) |
22 Aug vs Australia at Sydney 19-18 (Captain) |
12 Sep vs South Africa at Hamilton 29-32 (Captain) |
19 Sep vs Australia at Wellington 33-6 (Captain) |
31 Oct vs Australia at Tokyo 32-19 (Captain) |
7 Nov vs Wales at Cardiff 19-12 (Captain) |
21 Nov vs England at London 19-6 (Captain) |
28 Nov vs France at Marseilles 39-12 (Captain) |
5 Dec vs Barbarians Club at London 18-25 (-) (Captain) |
2010 |
12 Jun vs Ireland at New Plymouth 66-28 (Captain) |
19 Jun vs Wales at Dunedin 42-9 (Captain) |
26 Jun vs Wales at Hamilton 29-10 (Captain) |
10 Jul vs South Africa at Auckland 32-12 (Captain) |
17 Jul vs South Africa at Wellington 31-17 (-) (Captain) |
31 Jul vs Australia at Melbourne 49-28 (Captain) |
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