1. Richie McCaw
The only man to captain a team to back-to-back Rugby World Cup titles. Considered to be the very best rugby player to ever lace a pair of boots, Richie McCaw is rightfully awarded top spot on this list of the Rugby World Cup’s greatest ever players.
McCaw made his Rugby World Cup debut in 2003, after being named Super Rugby ‘Newcomer of the Year’ for the Crusaders a year prior. At just 21-years-old McCaw had already stamped his name on the All Blacks number seven jersey, and played in every match of the ’03 tournament, before being eliminated by Australia in the semi-final.
This coming-of-age competition worked wonders for a young McCaw, who after the international retirement of Tana Umaga, was named All Blacks captain in 2006; a mantle he held for nine years, across three Rugby World Cups. Admittedly, McCaw’s inugural World Cup as captain did not go to plan, as the All Blacks were eliminated by France in the quarter-final, for the nations earliest ever World Cup exit.
However, McCaw was not at fault. All Blacks Head Coach Graham Henry tampered with his side on too many occasions, limiting his side’s captain to just two starts and one substitute appearance which hindered the consistency of the on-field leadership.
However 2011 made for a different story, with McCaw firmly entrusted at the reigns. Graham Henry was made to recognise the flanker’s talents, helped in no end by Steve Hansen being appointed to Assistant Coach of the All Blacks. This began eight years of All Blacks domination, with Richie McCaw leading his side to success at every turn.
Recovering from a foot injury in time for the 2011 tournament, McCaw earned his 100th All Blacks test cap against France. New Zealand dominated the Pool stage opposition, with expectations high for the nation’s first title since 1987, made ever more appealing on home soil. Confident knocko-out victories against Southern Hemisphere rivals Argentina and Australia set up a re-union with France in the 2011 final. This gruelling match saw McCaw clash with French captain Thierry Dusatoir, before toppling les Bleus in a sweet act of world cup revenge.
McCaw repeated the feat in 2015, leading the All Blacks to retain their title as world champions in a never-before-seen accomplishment. The fairy-tale 2015 final was McCaw’s final act as an All Black, as he along with Dan Carter, Ma’a Nonu, Conrad Smith, Kevin Mealamu and Tony Woodcock bowed out on the international stage, marking the end of an era for the black jersey.
The 2015 victory over the Wallabies optimised a full circle closure in rugby story-telling. Ma’a Nonu ended his All Blacks legacy with one of his greatest ever tries, Dan Carter made up for his 2011 injury, and dropped a pivotal drop goal to turn the momentum of the game, and McCaw made history as the (then) most capped international player of all time, as he made his 148th test match, and 111th as captain.
Alun Wyn Jones has since surpassed McCaw’s test cap record with 170 (158 for Wales, 12 for British Lions). But McCaw’s legacy is best immortalised in the one-true accolade, of being the only rugby player in history to win back-to-back Rugby World Cups as captain. This solidifies his claim as the greatest ever Rugby World Cup player, with the record possibly set to stand the test of time.