Former All Black Richie McCaw is swapping the thrills of the rugby field for the thrills of the sky.
McCaw’s love of flying is set to become a full-time job – flying for Christchurch Helicopters as a pilot.
"This is something I am passionate about, and an opportunity with the boys out here, so yeah, it is going to be a new career.
"[It's] hard to describe being up here. I have always loved it and you get a different view of things and the challenge to fly," he says.
With rugby over it is flying that is now his real passion.
"To be honest, my father grew up flying aeroplanes and gliders so that was always what I wanted to do.
"I got the bug, went and had a lesson and I was buggered."
Richie got his private pilot's licence as 22-year-old back in 2003, spending his spare hours at the airfield, honing his flying skills in his glider above the South Island.
Now he’s moved up to helicopters.
"After the last World Cup I decided helicopters was the new challenge. I have been flying them since then, since 2012, and I love it," he says.
For the last three years McCaw has been hooked – clocking up his hours, sitting the exams and preparing for what will now be the next chapter in his life.
"He's a natural at it. He is definitely a natural to it and a great contributor to the company and he is just Richie to us, it is just a bonus that he happened to win the World Cup twice," says Christchurch Helicopters chief executive Terry Murdoch.
The 34-year-old will be based at Christchurch Helicopters behind the city's international airport - training for his commercial helicopter pilot's licence.
"He will fly everything. He will do everything we do, fire fighting, frost, scenic lifting, he will do it all," says Mr Murdoch.
"Having the guys at Christchurch Helicopters say 'do your commercial licence' and 'do a bit for the business' from the flying side is pretty exciting, and [I'm] really looking forward to it," says McCaw.
While landing a new career may be a change of tack, McCaw is still at the helm– this time in the skies.
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