John Key: Richie McCaw an 'intelligent, thoughtful guy'

Key sent a text message to McCaw asking him to check out his hugely popular flag video on his Facebook page. Photo / Instagram

Prime Minister John Key has heaped yet more praise on All Blacks captain Richie McCaw, who he texted suggesting he check out a flag video on his Facebook page.

On More FM this morning Mr Key simply said "yeah" when asked by hosts Gary McCormick and Simon Barnett if he had sent the text.

"What happened was, I can't really remember, we'd had some sort of discussion about it," Mr Key said.

Exactly what was said will never be known, as Mr Key has deleted the text, but that it happened was revealed in an Official Information Act request made by Hannah Coleman.

On More FM, Mr Key said he and McCaw had "a bit of an exchange" before he suggested the All Blacks captain check out the video.

"He's never ever spoken to me about politics, so I don't want to give people the wrong impression," Mr Key said.

"He is very interested in issues and events. He's an intelligent guy. He's very thoughtful. He thinks about lots of things.

"He is just interested in issues and he'll talk about a whole range of things, not just rugby," Mr Key said of McCaw.

Mr Key was also asked if he'd said anything stupid in the delivery room when son Max and daughter Stephie were born.

The Prime Minister said he'd attended both births.

"I couldn't get out of that," he said.

"I know back in the day you used to sit outside and then go and have a couple of beers. It seems like actually not a bad option."

Mr Key said the dumbest thing he said was when Stephie was due, he and wife Bronagh went to the delivery theatre on a Saturday afternoon and Mr Key said to the nurse it was such a convenient time to have a baby.

"She just looked at me and smiled. Stephie arrived 24 hours later ... Can you just get on with it?

"At one point apparently there's a good story, I'm sure this is myth, but Bronagh reckons the nurses got a mirror and put it up against my face because I was sleeping," he said.

"I reckon it's one of those made-up myths Bronagh's got but she dines out on it."