Even Harder on Himself

“It would be hard not to describe [Richie] McCaw as one of rugby’s greats,” Emma Stoney writes for The New York Times. “He is the captain of the most successful team in international rugby … He is widely regarded as the finest openside flanker of his generation, and in some people’s eyes, he is the best there has ever been. Yet for all the accolades and attention that come his way, he remains down to earth in interviews, with no hint of ego. “In all top sport, you’ve got to keep looking to be better and looking to improve, because if you stand still, you’re going backwards, really,” McCaw says. McCaw is 31 and was born in Oamaru.