2011, Richie McCaw: Out of the darkness

Richie McCaw led the All Blacks to win the World Cup and led New Zealand out of a gloomy year. (NZ Herald Archive)

Back in 1953, New Zealand experienced the euphoria of success and the depths of despair with Hillary's ascent of Everest and the Tangiwai disaster.

Something similar happened in 2011 with the February earthquake in Christchurch, which killed 182 people.

It was a hard time, especially as the country had to deal with the aftermath of the Pike River mine tragedy and, later, the consequences of the Rena grounding which threatened ecological and economic disaster in the Bay of Plenty.

The euphoria of success came late in the year, with the All Blacks breaking a 24-year drought to win the World Cup by the narrowest of margins.

It was in the bright light of victory shining through the gloom that we found our New Zealander of the Year which, as explained in our traditional editorial, pays tribute to those who do so much to make our country proud.

Herald editorial
26 Dec 2011 - When it comes to choosing New Zealand's happiest experience of 2011 there is no contest.

But when it comes to honouring one New Zealander among the millions who made the World Cup a national triumph, the selection is harder.

Should it be Martin Snedden who laid the groundwork for the "stadium of four million"?

Should it be Graham Henry, the coach who got a second chance, weathered the scorn from the dark, dour side of our national game and quietly applied the lessons he learned four years ago?

But he would be the first to say that the players did it, not him. When it came to that final agonising 20 minutes of truth he was as helpless as he had been four years ago ... As the stadum of four million held its breath, four years of hope depended on 15 tacklers.

Not one of them could afford another lapse like the miscue that let France in for a seven-pointer. The French were firing and it hardly seemed possible to hold them out for so long. But the 15 did, and if one All Black is to be awarded the accolade they all deserve, they would nominate their captain.

Of course it should be him.

Richie McCaw represents not only the epitome of the All Black character, playing through the World Cup on a foot injury more painful than he let on.

He has the manner of the New Zealand hero, another in the mould of Hillary (New Zealander of the Year 1953), Meads (1966) and Blake (1995).

From the Herald archives:
'True Grit: Richie McCaw', NZ Herald online, 10 December 2011

'Sporting feats show drought has broken', NZ Herald online, 26 December 2011

'All Blacks: McCaw continues to set the standard', NZ Herald online, 7 October 2012