Now at the risk of being accused of being a heretic in the current climate the question has to be asked: Does Richie McCaw deserve a knighthood?

The man who brought back the titular honours system as one of his first acts after winning office seems to be dealing them out like cards, even though they theoretically come from Buck House.

Teflon John Key brought them back, arguing "they were to celebrate a lifetime of service and achievement." At 34 Richie McCaw has virtually done nothing but play rugby, and play it very well, but has been well rewarded for it.

He was initially offered a knighthood at the tender age of 30 after first lifting the Webb Ellis Cup four years ago but turned it down. But his changing room buddy Key, sucking on a stubby, was again renewing the offer as he joined the boys with the beer beneath the stands at Twickers after The Match.

Even Angry Andy Little, who didn't get quite as close to the sweat the liniment, was agreeing Richie deserves a title which seems to be a change of heart for Labour which scrapped the honours 15 years ago when the then Head Girl Helen Clark said they undermined our top honour, The Order of New Zealand.

Clark's successor Phil Goff said bringing them back was harking back to the British Empire when we were a colony and not a truly independent country.

Still the 85 Kiwis who got an equivalent honour under Labour without the title lined up under Key's Government to genuflect beneath the sword to arise as a Dame or a Sir with one of them even arguing the title brought with it upgrades and the best of service!

While we're honouring our rugby heros, like McCaw and more than likely Steve Hansen, who's already got a gong, our cobbers across the ditch are adding insult to rugby injury with their Prime Minister doing away with the honours that Tony Abbott so enthusiastically brought back.

The Mad Monk infuriated ockers by giving one to Prince Philip who's got more gongs that you could shake a stick at.

So does Richie deserve the top gong? Perhaps we should now wait a while to see what else he achieves in his lifetime after rugby first, although in the current climate, that's highly unlikely!