Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com
While most retired rugby players are content to watch from the sidelines, Richie McCaw continues to seek out challenges that push the limits of human endurance.
The former All Blacks captain has swapped test matches for mountain trails, kayaks and navigation maps as he helps shape the next edition of the One NZ Godzone expedition race, set to take place in the spectacular Aoraki Mt Cook and Mackenzie Country region from February 25 to March 5.
McCaw is now a lead trustee of the Pure Adventure Charitable Trust, which oversees the iconic multi-day endurance event. Having competed in four Godzone races himself, the two-time Rugby World Cup winner says his motivation for becoming involved in organising the event is simple: he wants others to experience the same challenge and sense of achievement that inspired him.
“I loved what it was all about,” McCaw said, describing the adventure, teamwork and personal testing that define the race.
This year, rather than competing, McCaw has helped design the course, drawing on his deep familiarity with the region. Having grown up nearby and spent countless hours flying gliders around the Mackenzie Basin and Aoraki Mt Cook, he is well positioned to showcase some of New Zealand’s most breathtaking landscapes.
Competitors will face a demanding combination of trekking, mountain biking, paddling and navigation through terrain that is both stunning and unforgiving.
Despite hanging up his rugby boots more than a decade ago, McCaw remains committed to an active lifestyle. Adventure racing, Coast to Coast events and regular fitness challenges continue to play a significant role in his daily routine.
Exercise, he says, is more than competition.
“It’s a thing that keeps me sane, keeps you healthy,” McCaw explained.
That mindset recently saw him convince former All Blacks teammates Dan Carter and Stephen Donald to walk up Cape Town’s Table Mountain instead of taking the cable car during this year’s All Blacks tour of South Africa.
For McCaw, the appeal of endurance sport extends beyond physical fitness. Adventure racing teaches resilience, teamwork, problem-solving and perseverance when conditions become difficult.
His advice for anyone considering Godzone is straightforward: don’t underestimate yourself.
Reflecting on his first race, which followed only five months of training after retiring from rugby, McCaw said the experience taught him that people are capable of far more than they often believe.
“It’s worth a crack,” he said.
For those looking for the ultimate test of body, mind and teamwork, few endorsements carry more weight than that. After all, if Richie McCaw thinks it’s worth a crack, most New Zealanders would be wise to pay attention.
