Gemma and Richie McCaw welcome baby number three

Richie McCaw with baby number three. Photo / via Instagram

Former All Blacks captain Richie McCaw and former Black Stick Gemma McCaw have welcomed their third child.

Ella Mae McCaw was born on April 3.

Richie, 42, and Gemma, 32, already have two young daughters, Charlotte and Grace.

In an Instagram post announcing Ella’s arrival this afternoon, the couple said: “We are enjoying these precious moments as a family of 5″.

TV personality Matilda Green commented “Beautiful!!!! Congratulations guys xx”.

Radio Host Laura McGoldrick and former Warrior Monty Betham were also among those who congratulated the couple.

Former All Black teammate Dan Carter also said “Congrats guys”.

TV personality Toni Street also commented: “Congratulations team, beautiful name too xxx”.

The couple announced the pregnancy last September.

The couple’s second child, Grace, was born in May 2021. Their first, Charlotte, was born in December 2018.

In November 2019, Gemma opened up about the “challenges” of juggling motherhood and her return to the Black Sticks in an interview with Newstalk ZB’s D’Arcy Waldegrave.

“A little tiny part of me felt that there was a little bit of unfinished business. I felt like I really missed getting out there with the girls and playing the sport that I always loved,” she said.

“I filled in for a club hockey game when Charlotte was 4 months old and I kind of crossed the line out onto the field and I had that white-line fever again.

“That’s where it all started. I was fortunate enough to play NHL and then some time in the Aussie league and that’s when I guess I started to get a little bit more serious about it and think ‘I would actually love to play again at that high level’.”

The McCaws married in Wanaka in January 2017.