Former All Blacks captain Richie McCaw’s Instagram bio reads: “Husband, Father, Adventure Racer” and it appears the final title has got him into strife and landed him with a potential broken rib.
In a post on the social media site, his wife, former Black Stick Gemma McCaw, posted a photo of McCaw with a bloody bandage and scratch marks across his back with the caption: “Goes away for a 4 day 600km (+5000m climbing) bike race then walks in the door to me handing him the three girls.”
McCaw had just competed in the 5 Passes Tour, a gruelling cycle challenge over South Island roads:
The 5 Passes Tour is a four-day cycling tour where every facet is fully supported and catered for with over 20 support crew to look after participants’ every need.
Travelling from Christchurch through to the Alpine Village of Hanmer Springs, then it’s over Lewis Pass through to Greymouth reaching the West Coast before returning back to Christchurch via Arthur’s Pass and Porter’s Pass.
The next post is a closeup of the wound captioned: “I’m on wound cleaning after a nasty fall”. Those in cycle circles will recognise the tell-tale signs of a connection between tarmac and skin.
In a third post, McCaw, formerly Flynn, attempts to diagnose a suspected broken rib with a grimace seen on her husband’s face.
In a post on his own Instagram account, the two-time Rugby World Cup winner said: “Awesome to finish the 5 Passes bike tour. We covered 618km and 5800m of climbing over four days of riding from Christchurch to Greymouth via the Lewis Pass and back via the Arthur’s Pass. A lot of hurt trying to keep up in A grade but satisfying to see my team mate Luke McPherson claim the yellow jersey and Nathan Cohen the sprinters jersey.”
He can be seen sporting a couple of bandages in the post so it appears that his ability to fight through injury has not left him in his post-playing days.
Famously, the 148 test legend played through a stress fracture in his right foot during the All Blacks’ successful 2011 Rugby World Cup campaign.
Last year, McCaw was part of an iSPORT team that were evacuated by helicopter from the GODZone course in Fiordland National Park, with a team member suffering from ill-health.
