MileHighKiwi:
The Judges will consider information included with the nomination based on the following criteria:
- The contribution and benefit to society and impact on community or nation by the individual being nominated
- Their personal interest and involvement in the wider community
- Details of any challenges faced and how they have been overcome
- The length of service
- Outline commitment to their personal development by participation in courses, forums, conventions and community activities etc.
- Outline contribution to New Zealand's development
- Outline degree of difficulty in achievement
Based on these criteria I think that there must be more deserving (philanthopic) recipients, rather than someone who played a sport, even if they were better than playing that sport than anyone else on the planet. And let's face it, McCaw didn't win the world cup on his own - there were a lot of other players and coaches involved.
Based on that he ticks all the boxes!
McCaw has had a massive impact across all walks of life in NZ. Thousands of kids look up to him and aspire to be like him. He's humble as pie, never puts a foot wrong off the field and does a lot of work with communities via charities he's set up, fundraising for Christchurch etc . When the WC was on last year people were gathering at work in the early hours to watch the games and people who usually pass in the office without uttering a word to were all of a sudden sparking up conversations - sport does that, it can unite people, and he's the main man for our national sport. Awards like this are very subjective but you can't deny he has made a huge impact on this country.
McCaw is the man.
People saying "its just a game", pull ya heads in ya bloody hipsters.
Wonderful as McCaw is - and I do admire him greatly - I think that you overestimate his impact on the average New Zealander. He has comparatively little impact on the people that i know and that includes other rugby fans.
Most kids that I know are impacted more by celebrities than sports players. If I ask kids at school what they want to do when they grow up, the largest category is always something in entertainment like professional wrestling or singing. That's the sort of stuff that people search for and watch.
