Thursday 19 November 2015 11:42, UK
After Richie McCaw announced his retirement from the game, we look back on some of the significant dates in his career.
The former All Blacks skipper announced on Thursday that the Rugby World Cup final against Australia was his last game as a professional.
The news comes in the wake of a sensational career in charge of the No 1 side in World Rugby as the flanker captained his side for a world record 100 Tests. He won 131 games in the black jersey, and was just three international wins away from captaining New Zealand to a century of wins.
Here we look back on some of the big moments in the career of the most capped rugby player in international history.
17 November 2001
McCaw made his international debut at Lansdowne Road in Dublin, alongside the likes of Jonah Lomu, Andre Mehrtens and current Leicester head coach Aaron Mauger. In doing so he became All Black number 1014.
The 20-year-old won the man-of-the-match award in the encounter, which was won 40-29 by the New Zealanders, as McCaw notched up his first of 131 wins in the black jersey.
2003
McCaw was awarded the Kelvin R Tremain Memorial Trophy for New Zealand Player of the Year, the first of four occasions he won the award. The others came in 2006, 2009 and 2012.
20 November 2004
McCaw captained the All Blacks for the first time, becoming the 60th person to be handed the honour.
The captain opposite McCaw on the day was Wales' Gareth Thomas. The All Blacks edged Wales 26-25 that night at the Millennium Stadium, with a Gavin Henson penalty bringing the home side to within a point with five minutes remaining to ensure a tense end to McCaw's first run out as skipper of his country.
That win was the first of 97 as captain for McCaw.
2006
McCaw was named World Rugby Player of the Year for the first of a record three times in 2006. The other two accolades were won in 2009 and 2010. The Crusaders man was nominated for the award eight times, the first time in 2002.
23 October 2011
McCaw became the second New Zealand captain to lift the William Webb Ellis trophy after his side defeated France 8-7 in the Rugby World Cup final in Auckland.
The win came as great relief for McCaw and his troops, who were dumped out of the 2007 World Cup in the quarter-final stages of the previous World Cup by the French.
15 August 2015
McCaw became the most-capped player in international history, surpassing Brian O'Driscoll's record as he ran out for his country for the 142nd time in Auckland against Australia.
31 October 2015
Led by McCaw, the All Blacks became the first side to defend the William Webb Ellis trophy by beating Australia 34-17 in the World Cup final at Twickenham.
The game would be McCaw's last as a professional rugby player, as his retirement came three weeks later.
19 November 2015
Richie McCaw brought down the curtain on a highly decorated career for club and country, announcing his retirement at a press conference where he described leaving on a winning note as "pretty satisfying".
Career in summary
Tests: 148
Wins: 131
Tries: 27
Played in over a quarter of the 538 total All Black Tests since 1903.
Suffered only two losses on home soil.
Record as captain
Tests: 110
Wins: 97
2 Rugby Word Cup titles
7 Tri-Nations and Rugby Championship titles
10 Bledisloe Cup wins
2 Grand Slams
