Richie McCaw 6 month holiday empowers him to appreciate the job of being All Blacks captain.

Richie McCaw expects his six-month holiday will empower him to once again appreciate the job of being All Blacks captain.

McCaw, who yesterday confirmed he will play his first match of 2013 for his Christchurch club in “three or four weeks”, said the New Zealand Rugby Union’s decision to grant a sabbatical gave him a fresh perspective of the privileges that come with being the leader of the world’s most high-profile rugby team.

Captaining the All Blacks since 2006 meant McCaw was slowly being ground down by the continued demand to sign autographs, pose for photographs, attend official functions and fulfil media duties.

“After a while it becomes relentless. When it becomes a focus and starts getting on top of you, it becomes bigger than it should be,” McCaw said yesterday.

“I think having some time away and realising that it is pretty cool to put a smile on a kid’s face and doing what you do is good, you deal with it a lot better.

“And it just sort of got on top of me, really. That is why I think that time away was pretty critical.”

Even if McCaw hadn’t taken his sabbatical this year he was always going to lose the Crusaders captaincy to Kieran Read because coach Todd Blackadder recognised he had to lighten his load.

Since taking leave following last year’s northern tour, McCaw has rarely poked his head into the limelight.

His foray into the public eye yesterday coincided with McCaw and Dan Carter announcing a commercial deal with Adidas.

McCaw also travelled to Sri Lanka as part of his “global ambassador” role with Fonterra but said that was the only work-related task he had completed during his vacation.

Offshore trips have included skiing in France, sight-seeing in Italy, Canada and Hong Kong and catching-up with friends in the United Kingdom and the United States where he hung out in New York and Las Vegas.

When he attended the IRB sevens tournament in Wellington last summer he opted to disguise himself as a policeman.

“I had a few mates that were going to the sevens and thought I would dress-up right. It was bloody good sneaking around – no-one had any idea who I was.”

But his stint of “just being under the radar” will come at an end.

The 32-year-old, who watched the All Blacks play France at Eden Park and will attend Saturday night’s test at AMI Stadium, is well into pre-season training and confirmed he will play for his Christchurch club in “three to four weeks”.

He may also represent the Crusaders who have three regular-season matches remaining against the Highlanders, Chiefs and Hurricanes.

If they qualify for the play-offs, which begin July 19, it seems likely coach Todd Blackadder will require him to sit on the bench at least.

McCaw also acknowledged that watching the All Blacks at Eden Park stoked his desire to add to his 116 test caps.

“It did feel a bit funny. I had prepared myself for it. But when you see the lads lining-up for the anthems and then the whistle goes and you know you could have been out there, you miss it. That’s the way it should be. If I didn’t miss it, I would be a bit worried.

“That is when you realise how long you have got left and that you have to make the most of it.”

– © Fairfax NZ News