All Black legend Richie McCaw embraces media machine as Chasing Great premieres

Richie McCaw said he has learned to embrace the intense scrutiny that comes with being an All Black.

Speaking after the premiere of Chasing Great, a documentary chronicling the career of the 148-test legend, McCaw said his feelings towards the media changed over time.

"Theres things you've got to do as a rugby player that you never imagined you would have to do.

"All the media interviews, all the sponsorship stuff, perhaps at times when things haven't gone so good, particularly when I started, we saw that as this thing that you didn't really like doing.

"We changed our whole attitude because that's part of being a rugby player now, especially in New Zealand, that's how you make rugby work. If you approach it with the right attitude it's just part of what you do.

"We rely on how we're able to function from the support we get from the fans, and that's a way of making sure that can happen."

McCaw said he was nervous at the film's premiere but was pleased with how the final product turned out, despite cringing at one of the scenes.

"[The most cringe-worthy scene] was probably when I was sitting there doing the crossword, they told me just do what you normally do."

He said the film crew, led by directors Michelle Walshe and Justin Pemberton, were not a distraction in the lead up to the 2015 World Cup.

"There's no way I would've considered doing it if I thought there would be any impact at all on how I was going to perform, and we made sure that was the case."

The directors said she was careful not to impose too much on the All Black captain while the crew were following the team through last season.

"If I got an inch I took three-quarters," Walshe said. Pemberton was confident there was "no chance [McCaw] was going to get distracted".

The core narrative of the film centres on McCaw's mental preparation while attempting back-to-back World Cup victories, an angle which fascinated both directors.

"The mental side of playing rugby is more of a toll than the physical, and I think that's one of the big surprises," Pemberton said.

The directors said there was considerable internation interest in the film, but they were limiting its release to New Zealand and Australia at this stage.

McCaw was hesistant to get on board with a suggestion of turning his life-story into a Hollywood blockbuster, but was open to the possibility of Matt Damon playing him in a dramatisation.

"He's already had a go at rugby hasn't he, so yeah maybe someone like that."