Annemarie Quill: Richie should be king of everything

RICHIE MCCAW: "They should make Richie the king of New Zealand."

Like most people in New Zealand I set my alarm last Saturday night. Turns out I didn't have to. I awoke at 3am, with a panicked check of my phone like you do when you have to catch a flight. Phew! Only 3am. Two hours until the game started.

I crept into the front room. The dog opened one eye. My 10-year-old son was asleep on the chair in front of the television with his blanket and pillow.

He had insisted on sleeping there to bag the best chair. I picked up a magazine to read an article "My husband was killed by our vacuum cleaner". 3.30am. I flicked on the television. Infomercials. The dog closed his eyes.

Did I need a one-second slicer that could slice anything in one second? Or a set of stoneware pans. Two sets if I called within the hour. Three sets if I called right now. An AbRocket to tighten my abs. It made me think of the gym. And the time I met the All Blacks there ... did I ever mention that?

4am.

This is a first, I thought. Not being able to sleep because I am waiting for a game of rugby.

I had the same feeling later that day in the office when with our sports writer I was debating who would be the next All Blacks captain.

What was going on with me?

I used to be very much like Lorde who after the All Blacks win on Sunday tweeted, "all my life I've been a fervently non-sport 'forgot my p.e.gear' type gal but jeez I am pretty proud of the AllBlacks".

Now I found myself not only watching the game, but watching the repeat, the endless commentary, reading all the world press about the All Blacks, following Dan and Richie on Facebook (McCaw only joined this week), and generally, like most of the rest of the country getting caught up in All Blacks fever.

It had mattered so much that we won. It was more than just a game. As one Facebook poster Ash Shakari posted on Facebook: "Rugby is part of this nation's identity and I would say it is an art ... it speaks to the soul of those passionate about it. Richie McCaw would probably get a knighthood regardless of what field he chose because his values and ability to inspire and lead are what people are drawn to. I'm an arts major with my achievements being all in music, art and social sciences but I truly believe it's not just about what you achieve but more so how you do so."

He was posting in a lively debate that flared up on Facebook this week on the page of pianist Maria Mo.

Mo had started a debate, emphasising that in no way was she taking away from the All Blacks' achievements but urged New Zealand to laud arts performers in the same way it did with sports.

She noted for example, violinist Amalia Hall who this year won first prize at the Janacek International Violin Competition, then was a finalist at the Joseph Joachim International Violin Competition, the only New Zealander competing in both competitions. Mo said there was no mention of her on the news. She compared this to other countries.

"When Van Cliburn came home to the US after winning the International Tchaikovsky Competition in 1958 he was honoured with a ticker-tape parade in NYC and a cover story in Time Magazine."

She added, "I think the All Blacks did phenomenally well, and I used them as an example because they were most currently in the media.

"I appreciate and respect the amount of work that goes into sports, but I feel like the same or more effort that is invested into the arts is sadly not as acknowledged, if at all. If not everyone is into the arts, the same goes for sports. There are many people who feel oversaturated by sports, who are thirsty for more arts coverage. The two can coexist."

Some posters argued that sport was more popular and therefore deserving of more coverage. Some pointed to the boost to the economy of a Rugby World Cup win, to which one retorted that the performing arts industry could be a huge boon for our profile and economy also, as was the case with the Lord of the Ring movies.

Others pointed out that female sporting achievements were not celebrated in the same way, and mentioned the success of the Black Ferns.

I had never even heard of them and when I googled them found that they were the female equivalent of the All Blacks.

Now I feel about female rugby players much the same as I feel when a see a woman mowing the lawn - that you really don't have to do that.

But then if that's your game and you play for your country and end up winning four world cups, then if I was a Black Fern, I would be wondering when Sol3 Mio was going to serenade me in a Victoria Park parade in front of thousands.

Similarly an international award-winning violinist like Amalia Hall may wonder when Taylor Swift is going to want to hang out with her.

The All Blacks, Lorde - no one wants to take away from their well deserved glory, talent and recognition.

Some may say it is not a time to have such a debate. But while New Zealand is the focus of the world's attention it is exactly the time.

Male rugby may very much be New Zealand's dominant culture, but there are many Kiwis who achieve great things on the world stage in other sports, or other fields such as philanthropy, music and the arts.

Richie and his boys are the popular kids we all love. The appeal of this All Blacks team to all in New Zealand, young and old, male and female, and even the one-time "forgot my PE kit type" like Lorde (and me) is something unique. It is their "everyman" qualities, their total team-like approach, their humility. McCaw's leadership is really something special beyond rugby. He really does exemplify his now catchphrase that he doesn't believe in magic but hard work.

Let's hope it inspires more Kiwis to use their own particular talents to work hard and be recognised as such.

In the meantime, All Hail the All Blacks.

To quote my daughters as they watched the cup ceremony - my 8-year-old asked her 12-year-old sister who the "red-headed dude was giving out all the medals".

She replied: "Some prince or something. Not that William guy, the other one."

"He doesn't look like a prince does he?"

"No."

"They should make Richie McCaw a prince."

"They should make Richie the king of New Zealand."

"Not just New Zealand. The king of the whole, wide world."

"Not just the world. Everything. Eh Mum? Richie should just be the King of Everything."