Rugby: Schoolboy memories: The day Richie McCaw couldn't do the haka

Richie McCaw still looks back fondly at his college rugby days – and how it shaped his All Blacks career.

Speaking with Movember's Robert Dunne on the A Few Good Men podcast, McCaw recalled one of his favourite memories from his college rugby days with Otago Boys' High School where, "against all odds", his team beat a Kelston Boys' team which featured his future All Blacks teammate Mils Muliaina.

"We had a first XV in my seventh form who probably on paper you wouldn't say were world beaters. But [we] had a couple big guys Filipo [Levi] and a couple others who probably made up for all us skinny little kids," he said.

"And we came up against Kelston boys' in the semifinal of the first XV and we shouldn't have got close.

"They did the haka before the game and we decided not to do ours because we wouldn't have won that battle.

"But we managed to win against all odds and it was one of the best memories we had and probably one of the best games I've played as a young fella."

From the archives- 1998 OBHS 1st XV Is this our most successful 1st XV ever?? The 1998 team were the first South Island...

Posted by Otago Boys’ High Rugby Club on Tuesday, 6 December 2016

McCaw said that was one of the first times he was noticed as a young up-and-coming rugby player, and it led to further opportunities in the sport.

"I still think about that game a lot because there just happened to be some pretty influential selectors from New Zealand rugby were there watching. And Steve Hansen always talks about that game and then the final.

"An opportunity like that popped up and it was a great memory. And perhaps it led on to some other things."

The former All Blacks captain said those memories were a good reminder to all other kids who are hopeful of following in his footsteps to, first and foremost, enjoy rugby.

"I always say to kids, especially younger kids, they say is it cool to play rugby or why do you play rugby and it was always because you enjoyed it.

"And yup we got to do it as a professional, but it didn't mean you didn't enjoy it. I don't think you can strive to be the best and do all the training if you're not enjoying what you do."

A Few Good Men is a new podcast series with Radio Hauraki and the Movember Foundation.