McCaw declines royal invite

Auckland - Prince William's wedding invite to All Blacks captain Richie McCaw has created a right royal stir, with speculation swirling that another New Zealand rugby great could be on the list.

McCaw revealed on Monday he'd turned down the invitation to next month's extravaganza because he wants to focus on Super Rugby and the Rugby World Cup.

"I did get an invitation, it was a heck of an honour and I felt a bit lucky," McCaw told the NZ Herald.

"Had I still been injured and it had not been a World Cup year, then I'm sure things would have been different."

Former All Black captain Sean Fitzpatrick may have also received a gold-embossed invitation in the mail.

Players' agent Andy Haden said he thought Fitzpatrick would be a likely candidate, as he lives in London and is on the board for the Laureus sport awards.

However, when Haden quizzed him about it, Fitzpatrick wouldn't say if he had received an invite or not.

The prince is a keen rugby fan, playing rugby as a university student, and is vice-patron of the Welsh Rugby Union.

Confirmed so far for the wedding are openly-gay Welsh star Gareth Thomas, and Irish captain Brian O'Driscoll.