I have just finished watching  the movie ‘Chasing Great’ on my way to Hong Kong – WOW, Richie is the man!  Never having been a huge fan of rugby, except maybe during that last World Cup, much of Richie’s journey was foreign to me – so to sit quietly and watch this 100 minute documentary was nothing short of inspiring. I have often been asked in  my own interviews as to who are the people that inspire me – I guess I would now even go so much as to say that he’s possibly my alter ego. I want to be that man  – the wonderful mix of humility and success rarely seen among the superstar achievers.

I was riveted tothis documentary that is essentially all about rugby – Richie’s fifteen years in the All Blacks, with an insight into his earlier pre-game years. A man so ordinary, (to use the words of his recent partner) so committed and so driven to be the best – yet this flavour wasn’t apparent  in the many interviews I have seen, admittedly most of these were ex game – but who would have known there was so much more behind this man. From the 2007 world cup loss where a young McCaw was vilified by the press and faced a country calling for his job loss, seeing Richie truly explore his dark side, challenging himself to find solutions that were all about change, to use his words – ‘you need to have the tools in your tool box to handle pressure.’

The powers that be preserved and created the greatest rugby captain of them all – Richie McCaw simply created a culture of winning. He truly believed that the mind would enable the body. He led with a clear, calm and decisive head, and always remained humble and on point. The man off-camera and speaking quietly in the documentary showed a massive commitment to constantly elevating his game and becoming a GREAT ALL BLACK (GAT) – success being about the ability to control your mind in a pressure situation, to be named later by some of the great sports commentators as a GOAT (Greatest Of All Time.)  This documentary is a must watch for us all, as we all have so much to learn from this man. His growth over twenty five years in the All Blacks was phenomenal, and to do this in the ever critical public eye is outstanding. His prophetic quotes and one liners gave a clarity to me, especially in regards to his time to leave the All Blacks and the team that had possessed so much of his being, and had made him the superstar he is today. But then Richie is so much more than that – he possesses a human quality, underpinning a hunger for success and winning, which makes him so marketable and connected to the New Zealand public that forever will remember the greatness of this man.