Richie McCaw didn’t hesitate naming Six Nations stadium as best for atmosphere

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The former All Blacks captain, who led his team to two World Cup victories, has played in nearly every major rugby arena, but a few hold a special place in his heart.

Let’s take a closer look at McCaw’s favourite rugby grounds, the atmosphere they offer, and some quirky details that make them legendary.

McCaw’s top choice for atmosphere? The iconic Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. Known for its electric vibe when the roof is closed, McCaw fondly recalls the incredible energy of the crowd that echoes through the 74,000-seat arena.

"It is great to be playing with the roof closed as that creates both a great atmosphere and a dry ball," said Richie McCaw. The indoor setting makes the venue unique, creating a cauldron-like effect where sound bounces around, making it incredibly loud. Whether you're Welsh or not, the cheers (and jeers) surround you from all angles.

Despite the deafening noise, McCaw loved the challenge:
"It can be extremely noisy but then it is the same for both sides and you just have to do your best to get your messages over to your mates."

This stadium, originally known as the Millennium Stadium, is nestled in the heart of Cardiff and is as iconic for its retractable roof as for the history it holds. From World Cup finals to Six Nations clashes, it's a venue that every player wants to experience.

For McCaw, this stadium is in a league of its own:
"It is certainly one of my favourite places," he said. And who can blame him? Few rugby venues boast the atmosphere of Principality on a match day.

McCaw also holds South Africa's Ellis Park in high regard. Located in Johannesburg, this is a venue drenched in history, perhaps most famously known as the site where South Africa won the 1995 Rugby World Cup. For McCaw, playing at Ellis Park was as intimidating as it was exhilarating.

"Ellis Park is one of the great stadiums to play test rugby at, even though it is tough and intimidating," McCaw wrote on his Facebook page.

What makes Ellis Park so daunting? The high altitude of Johannesburg, combined with the passion of the home fans, gives the Springboks an edge. At 1,753 meters (5,750 feet) above sea level, it’s known to sap the energy of even the fittest athletes. The chants of "Bokke! Bokke!" resonate through the concrete structure, making it a cauldron for visiting teams.

The stadium's open design ensures that no roof can muffle the roar of 60,000 fans. Built in 1928, Ellis Park remains one of the most storied and intense rugby environments in the world. It’s not just the physical challenge of playing at altitude—it’s the sense of history and national pride that you can feel in the air.

Ireland’s Lansdowne Road, now replaced by the state-of-the-art Aviva Stadium, was another standout for McCaw. The flanker cherishes the memories of playing at both the old Lansdowne Road and its ultra-modern successor.

"There's no doubt the current Aviva is an amazing place to play, but to have played at the old Lansdowne Road a couple of times... I was pretty lucky to get to play at both," McCaw said, reflecting on the ground’s evolution.

The old Lansdowne Road was a stadium with character, grit, and history, where the noise from the crowd felt like it was pressing down on you from the rickety stands. Built in 1872, it was the oldest rugby stadium in the world before being replaced by the Aviva.

While the Aviva boasts a sleek, modern design with its eye-catching curved roof, McCaw still holds a soft spot for the original, especially with its unique location—straddling a train line. When Lansdowne was redeveloped, trains had to be factored into the design, making it a quirky feature of a world-class stadium.

One of the most special memories for McCaw didn’t happen in a traditional rugby stadium. During the redevelopment of Lansdowne Road, Ireland’s rugby team moved temporarily to Croke Park, traditionally a GAA stadium, home to hurling and Gaelic football.

"I'll tell you what – the one great experience we had when it was being rebuilt was to play at Croke Park. I understand the history of Croke Park and that was pretty cool," McCaw shared.

Croke Park, with its 82,000 capacity, is not just a sporting arena but a national symbol in Ireland. The site of the 1920 Bloody Sunday massacre, the stadium is deeply entwined with the country’s turbulent history. For many, playing rugby in a GAA fortress was a symbolic moment of unity between different Irish sports and communities.

Rugby Pass 5/10: "By Antoine Dupont’s insuperable standards, this was not vintage. Controlled the game with both feet and mixed his kicking to keep Marcus Smith guessing. But he had a few sloppy passes in him, including a hospital pass to Alexandre Roumat. Looked to be in for a certain try soon after, but spilt a pass with the try line beckoning. Had the ball ripped from his clutches by Tom Curry just metres from England’s line early in the second 40. Not too bad by a normal player’s standards, but for Dupont, this was quite error-strewn. There were, of course, still moments of pure genius."

Mail Online 6/10: "He's human after all. Not immune to French tension and far from imperious best but arcing run set up one try and long passes helped create two others."

RUCK 3/10: "After hitting a milestone last timeout against France, Adams probably was looking for a much better performance than last week in Paris. He did have two opportunities from kicks in behind but, again, didn’t see much of the ball. The 29-year-old was also awarded a yellow card on 58 minutes for making contact with Paolo Garbisi’s head, perhaps he can count himself lucky that it wasn’t a red."

Planet Rugby 4/10: "Looked pretty threatening throughout, but just blew two huge opportunities that could have swung the game back to Wales, and you think he would have nabbed these a few years ago. Lucky to escape a red card too for his challenge on Paolo Garbisi."

Wales Online 4/10: "Butchered two try-scoring opportunity by spilling the ball forward with the line at his mercy, albeit in difficult conditions. Received a yellow card for a cynical high shot on Paolo Garbisi."

RUCK 5/10: "Though Smith is an excellent ball player, there’s still some room for improvement of knowing when to kick, or not to kick. Thanks to France errors, it's lucky they didn’t capitalise on all of the errors. His best aspect was watching the ball, and taking advantage when it was on the ground. But why does he find the need to kick the ball at almost every time, especially when the momentum is towards England. Also, watching in front of him – so he doesn’t kick the ball directly into the French legs. He also needs to have some confidence in taking the ball into tackles, don’t pass the ball when there’s no solid pass on. His confidence improved as the game went on, but it was still not the best performance from the superstar rugby player."

Evening Standard 5/10: "Struggled defensively and was lucky not to be at fault for a try when Bielle-Biarrey ripped the ball off him. Kicking off the tee was poor, too."

Express 5/10: "Would've been disappointed by his performance, even if he was playing slightly out of position. Missed the conversion for Freeman's try and was once again wide of the mark for a penalty kick a few minutes later. Was taken off kicking duty after Baxter's try."

Planet Rugby 4//10: "he reactions will be mixed on his performance ranging from dreadful to excellent but the ploy to push him to full-back was proven to be right. He covered the back-field well and kept England in the kicking duel while adding value on attack too. England have regularly deployed the dual playmaker – notably with George Ford and Owen Farrell – and today showed it can work. There were errors but that is to be expected. His kicking woes made things difficult."

Planet Rugby 3/10: "Put under some serious pressure in the scrum by the Italian pack, and came up with a few penalties as a result. Again, he’s not the long-term solution at tighthead."

Wales Online 4/10: "In Paris, the Scarlets tighthead was as solid as a rock but he conceded four scrum penalties in Rome and was replaced after 44 minutes. An afternoon to forget."

RUCK 3/10: "The Italian pack was strong, and after last week’s decent showing at scrum time, it must be said that it wasn’t the best of afternoon's for the front row. At times they were physically outmatched, with Thomas giving away a number of penalties."

Planet Rugby 4/10: " Steady around the pitch, as you’d expect, but the lineout misfired again during his stint as Italy got some decent change in this department. Couldn’t help his props much either"

Wales Online 4/10: "The lineout is a collective effort but Wales struggled to win much clean ball early on and it improved once Elliot Dee entered the fray. Offered himself as a carrier and does have potential but he remains a work in progress at this level."

RUCK 3/10: "He wasn't firing his arrows at the lineout, which ultimately let the 23-year-old down as the hosts used those errors as a catalyst to their attacking game. However, in attack and defence, he was solid."

Evening Standard 5/10: "A bit loose in the lineout, with England losing three of their six ones when he was on. "

Express 6/10: "Disappointing with his line-outs and Steve Borthwick made the right call to take him out of the game"

RUCK 5/10: "it wasn’t a fantastic game for hooker. His effort was there for sure, but a few handling errors led to silly penalties given to France which they took with gratitude."

The Six Nations Championship, Europe’s premier rugby tournament, has delivered unforgettable moments and showcased some of the game’s greatest players.

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