New Zealand captaincy: There was no need for white smoke billowing from the chimneys of the New Zealand Rugby Union's offices when Richie McCaw was named on Saturday as the new All Blacks captain.

The appointment of a new skipper is always a momentous occasion in rugby-mad New Zealand but the decision to choose McCaw as Tana Umaga's successor was anything but a surprise.

The 25-year-old had served as vice-captain for the past two seasons and had twice led the team in Umaga's absence. He was the obvious choice to take over once Umaga announced his retirement in January.

"It's a natural step for Richie McCaw to take on the captain's role," coach Graham Henry said. "He has been an All Black since 2001, he is a world class player, and he has led the team well in previous Tests."

McCaw, a rugged openside flanker who has been earmarked for greatness since he took up the game as a seven-year-old, said he was humbled by his appointment.

"As well as a great honour and privilege, it is a big challenge to captain the All Blacks," he said. "Along with the other team leaders, I hope we can keep improving on the success of the last 18 months and play some exciting rugby.

"New Zealand has some excellent players right now who are enjoying the game and I'm looking forward to the job."

McCaw is the 60th man to be appointed captain of the world's most famous national rugby team. He made his Test debut against Ireland in 2001 when he was just 20 and has played 36 Tests, including two as captain, against Wales in 2004 and Ireland a year later.

An outstanding defender and a master at the breakdown, McCaw showed his qualities as a leader when he led the Canterbury Crusaders to victory in last year's Super 12 championship before playing a starring role in New Zealand's 3-0 clean sweep against the touring British and Irish Lions and then the Grand Slam tour of Britain and Ireland.

"I'm pretty excited about what lies ahead, especially my experiences for the last 18 months with the All Blacks have been pretty enjoyable," McCaw said. "There's obviously a lot (of responsibilities) that comes with it but it's a challenge I'm really looking forward to."

McCaw's first assignment will be New Zealand's opening Test against Ireland in Hamilton on June 10th but his ultimate goal is next year's World Cup in France, where the All Blacks are the early favourites.

Umaga had seemed certain to lead the All Blacks into the World Cup after his success as captain in 2005 but his surprise decision to stand down at age 32 immediately paved the way for a younger man. "It was an obvious choice and that's why it was very hard to keep it a secret," Henry said.

"Richie is a world class player, highly respected by his fellow players and he's had a lot of success as a captain at provincial level. I think the ability to lead from the front and be a world class player is important for the rest of the players."

New Zealand's Canterbury Crusaders and Wellington Hurricanes both secured home-ground advantage for next week's Super 14 semi-finals after Australia's New South Wales were rocked by the loss of Wendell Sailor and South Africa's Bulls defied massive odds to sneak into the playoffs. Canterbury finished the end of the regular season on top of the standings after thrashing the ACT Brumbies 33-3 in Christchurch, piling on 21 points in the last nine minutes to knock the Australians out of the top four.

The Durban-based Sharks initially looked to have booked their place in the semi-finals when they beat Australia's Western Force 41-25 in Durban to leapfrog the Brumbies into fourth place.

But the Bulls pulled off a minor miracle to claim fourth place by the slimmest of margins, beating the Stormers 43-10 in Cape Town when they needed to win by 32 or more to move ahead of the Sharks on percentages.

McCaw facts

Born: December 31st, 1980.

Height: 6ft 2ins.

Weight: 106 kilograms.

Played: 36 Tests, two as captain.

Position: Openside flanker.

2001: Made Test debut against Ireland in Dublin.

2002: Named best "newcomer of the year" by the International Rugby Players' Association.

2003: Named New Zealand's player of the year after an outstanding performance at the World Cup. Nominated as a finalist for the International Rugby Board's player of the year.

2004: Sidelined for half the season with a head injury. Captained All Blacks for the first time, against Wales in Cardiff.

2005: Captained Crusaders to the Super 12 title. Skippered the All Blacks for a second time, against Ireland in Dublin. Nominated for a second time as a finalist for the IRB's player of the year.

2006: Appointed All Blacks captain.