On rugby re-joining the Olympic Games :

McCaw (76 Test Caps, 39 times as Captain) – “Playing for New Zealand and pulling on the All Blacks jersey have been a huge honour. As a rugby player, to be able to do that at an Olympic Games would be just huge & something that every rugby player in this country would be motivated by.”

Muliaina (77 Test Caps, 3 times as Captain) – “I think every player playing today, and all those who are coming through rugby in New Zealand would give their right arm for the chance to play rugby at the Olympic Games. I know I have been incredibly blessed with the opportunities I have had, and winning a gold medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester was right up there with my greatest All Blacks memories, so I can only imagine what it would be like to play at the Olympics. It’s a great thing to imagine though.”

Up & coming wing speedster Zac Guildford on a scoring tries :

“There’s still a few things I want to fine tune. Yes, I’ve scored a few tries but it’s only down to the work done inside and up front, the big guys getting front-foot ball. When the forwards are going forward then you’re going to have some fun, maybe even a bit of a field day. But it starts in the engine room and we don’t go out thinking we can try the razzle-dazzle from the start.”

On the dilemma of whether or not 20 year old NPC sensation Aaron Cruden should make the leap from NPC to All Black and join the EOYT :

Grant Fox (former All Black 46 Test Caps) – “Cruden is at times Carter-like in his instinctive brilliance and a legitimate alternative/successor to the gifted one. Through the Iranz academy I’ve seen a lot of five-eighths and he was the best I saw go through. I have no doubt Aaron is going to be a very, very good player, so it’s up to the three wise men if they want to take the young guy away and develop him. He’s certainly got the potential to go all the way.”

Dave Rennie (Manawatu coach) emphasizes “He’s a special kid and a rare talent. He’s very mature, very level-headed with a really strong understanding of the game and a pretty highly developed skill-set. Jumping from the NPC all the way to the All Blacks would be a challenge but his leadership is very impressive for a kid who’s just turned 20. He’s basically the youngest guy in our team and he has already been captain and is a massive part of our leadership group. He’s very down to earth, and is great to work with.”

Fox has the final word with “Mate, if you’re good enough, you’re old enough. It’s really that simple. ”

On protecting domestic competitions :

Steve Tew “SARU were much heralded for protecting their window in the recent Sanzar discussions, but the reality was we were doing the same and protected exactly the same window. Australia had a different agenda. We think we found the right compromise, having Super Rugby as a stand-alone event and a period of time when the domestic competition can have the limelight. But it will be a 10-team competition. The South Africans are struggling to keep eight teams competitive, and a number of their unions are struggling financially as well, so maybe there’s a lesson in that.”

A few Richie McCaw thoughts :

His successor – ”We have been pretty lucky in the All Blacks having a good bunch of senior guys that are probably all capable of leading. I look at younger guys coming up. A guy who springs to mind is Kieran Read. He is a hell of a good player and is going to have a lot of time in the All Blacks. He is the type of guy who has the qualities. You don’t want to put pressure on him straight away. He has only been there a year and has quite a senior role. He has really good rugby nous.”

Leading the Haka – ”The guys who usually lead it were not there. I’ve also been fairly involved with how the new one came about. I led it once in 2006 and was one of the only guys who had done it before. It’s a privilege. You still have to get your mind ready to play rugby. Sometimes it goes the other way and you go over the top. It’s something all Kiwis are proud of, if you have Maori background or not. I think it’s a significant thing in world rugby. We’re just the lucky guys who get to do it.”

Playing Rugby in France – ”I would love to live over there, but it’s pretty hard yakka playing rugby there. If I am leaving New Zealand, it probably means the body is getting to the end or they are telling me to move on although I would love to experience France.”

On gliding – ”Flying is something I love. My father was a glider pilot when I was young. I was always around them and loved it. I was 10 when I first went with the old man. We did loops. I have always been into aeroplanes. The first thing I did was get my license and then moved on to gliders. The reason I was keen to be on the show [Sportstar Insider] is because it is a sport I love and am passionate about. I thought, what a great opportunity to show people the sport of gliding and the special scenery in New Zealand. I jumped at the chance to do it and show people what else I do.”

On acquiring different kind of Cap – Richie McCaw accepted an invitation from the RNZAF to become an honorary squadron leader until December 31, 2011. Flying is in his blood – his grandfather was an RNZAF fighter pilot during World War II – and McCaw had flown since childhood with his father. He said there were similarities between being an All Black and being an Air Force pilot, and had talked with air force cadets previously about leadership. He would also consider joining the air force in the future. “Obviously over the next couple of years I’m playing and I have to do what I do to have the honorary position, but hey, who knows what happens after that? With my interest in flying, you never know.”