McCaw in the swim

Former All Blacks captain Richie McCaw had that sinking feeling on the Coast to Coast yesterday.

McCaw and good friend Rob Nichol, the New Zealand Rugby Players Association boss, confessed they ended up in the Waimakariri River in the 70km kayak leg of the endurance event.

‘‘We did take a swim. We hit the wall actually. There’s not much you can do in those big duos when you’re in that space,’’ McCaw said at the finish line at Christchurch’s New Brighton Beach.

‘‘There were a lot of kayaks on the side of the river. There were a lot of people going out.’’

In the Canterbury heat, which topped 30 degrees, the cool waters of the ‘Waimak’ wasn’t the worst place to be.

McCaw and Nichol, competing as ‘‘Best Foot Forward’’ in the two-day tandem team event, were fourth in the men’s open category.