Richie McCaw named New Zealander of the Year

Richie McCaw named New Zealander of the Year

Former New Zealand rugby captain and charity leader Richie McCaw has been named Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year 2016 at the gala awards ceremony held this evening [17/2] in Auckland.

McCaw was presented with the award by the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon John Key, and received the Kiwibank award winner’s kaitaka huaki cloak, Pouhine, from last year’s New Zealander of the Year, Sir Stephen Tindall.

In his 14-year professional rugby career McCaw has achieved unrivalled success as a leader and inspirational player.

Off the field McCaw has devoted much of his time to helping other Kiwis. He has fundraised for the Christchurch rebuild and Leukaemia and Blood Cancer New Zealand. As patron of the Catwalk Spinal Cord Injury Trust, McCaw helped raise $200,000 for research into the development of a cure for spinal cord injury.

In 2009, McCaw and fellow All Blacks Dan Carter and Ali Williams set up the For Everyone Charity. Now called iSPORT, it works with schools, and local, regional and national sporting bodies to support young sportspeople and teams to succeed in their chosen fields.

A short film profiling McCaw can be viewed at https://inner.kiwi/new-zealander-year/

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