Richie McCaw World Rugby Player of the Decade

New Zealand’s two-time Rugby World Cup-winning captain Richie McCaw has been named men’s player of the decade by World Rugby, Reuters reports in an article published online by The Guardian.

McCaw, 39, who led the All Blacks to back-to-back World Cup titles in 2011 and 2015, saw off competition from former teammates Dan Carter, Kieran Read, Brodie Retallick and Beauden Barrett, as well as France’s Thierry Dusautoir, Ireland’s Johnny Sexton and South African Pieter-Steph du Toit.

“When you look at the calibre of players throughout that period, it is very humbling,” McCaw told Newstalk ZB.

Black Ferns’ Portia Woodman, 29, took home the Women’s Sevens Player of the Decade award and the International Rugby Players’ Women’s 15s Try of the Decade.

New Zealanders included in the Men’s 15s Team of the Decade are: McCaw, Owen Franks, Brodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock, Dan Carter, Ma’a Nonu and Ben Smith.

And in the women’s team: Woodman, Fiao’o Faamausili, Eloise Blackwell, Linda Itunu, Kendra Cocksedge and Kelly Brazier.

Original article by Reuters, The Guardian, December 7, 2020.