Richie McCaw passes helicopter exams with flying colours

Richie McCaw poses with a helicopter. Photo / RichieMcCaw07 - Facebook

Even after hanging up his boots All Blacks legend Richie McCaw is finding ways to prove his greatness.

The former All Blacks skipper, who led the side to two Rugby World Cup titles, has revealed in an interview with the Daily Mail that he aced the flying exams for his helicopter licence.

During a tour above Christchurch, McCaw played down the fact that he scored 94 per cent in his six flying exams, 24 per cent above the average pass rate.

McCaw took Daily Mail journalist Nik Simon around his home city, showing the reporter the empty shell of Lancaster Park.

"There she is, just sitting there," McCaw said above the Crusaders' former home ground which has been dormant following the 2011 Christchurch Earthquake.

"We'll end up spewing if we go any further and someone will have to clean it up - not my idea of fun!," McCaw saud,

The 35-year-old opened about his retirement from the game following last year's Rugby World Cup final win over Australia.

"It's a scary thing when you get to the end of 15 years playing and suddenly think, 'Now what'?" McCaw said.

"To be honest, for 12 of those years I had no idea what I'd do and just hoped that something would come along. This has been really important for me.

"Sunday mornings are a lot better now. The Super Rugby season is a tough grind and I certainly haven't missed that. I don't miss being on the physio table and I thought it would be a lot stranger watching the ABs.

"There was a little bit of an 'Ooff!', watching them run out at first, but you can get yourself into all sorts of problems if you sit there looking back."

McCaw is expected to support fiancee and New Zealand women's hockey player Gemma Flynn at next month's Rio Olympics.