5 March 2010 Richie back at familiar ground

It was a run down memory lane at Lincoln University last Wednesday (24 Feb.) for All Blacks captain and Crusaders linchpin Richie McCaw.

At a special Crusaders training session on the University’s No 1 rugby field, Richie was back where he started as a foundation Sports Scholar at Lincoln University 11 years ago, aged 18.

Back then he had not long returned from Wales where he and fellow Lincoln University Sports Scholar John Stewart had been part of the New Zealand team which won the World Under-19 Championship. Richie, ex-Otago Boys’ High School 1st XV, and John, ex-St Bede’s 1st XV, are shown here in 1999 on the No 1 ground at Lincoln University with trophies from the Wales tour. These days John is playing rugby in France.

Now, 11 years later and a legend of the game, Richie is shown on exactly the same spot at Lincoln University with one of the 2010 intake of Sports Scholars, new Crusaders recruit Robbie Fruean, a former Wellington provincial and Hurricanes player.

Like Richie and John, Robbie is also a former World Under-19 Championship player. He was named International Rugby Board World Under-19 Player of the Year in 2007  after leading New Zealand to the championship win in Ireland. At New Zealand’s specialist land-based university, Lincoln University, Robbie is enrolled for a Commerce degree.

Lincoln University’s pioneering Sports Scholarship Programme was founded in 1999. In this year’s Crusaders Super 14 squad there are three current Lincoln University students  -  Robbie Fruean, Sam Whitelock and George Whitelock, and two past students, All Blacks Richie McCaw and Andy Ellis. George Whitelock also won All Blacks selection last year. 

Robbie, Sam and George are current Sports Scholars and Andy and Richie past Sports Scholars.