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All Blacks (Rugby Union)

All Blacks, New Zealand's National Rugby Union Team

The All Blacks are New Zealand's national rugby union team. Rugby union is New Zealand's national sport, with the All Blacks a formidable power in international rugby, possessing a winning record against all nations.

The All Blacks compete annually with Australia and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with Australia. They have been Tri-Nations champions seven times in the tournament's eleven-year history, have twice completed a Grand Slam (in 1978 and in 2005), and currently hold the Bledisloe Cup. They are the top ranked team in the world, and the 2006 International Rugby Board (IRB) Team of the Year. Twelve former All Blacks have been inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame.

The team first competed internationally in 1893 against New South Wales, and played their first Test match in 1903, a victory against Australia. This was soon followed by a tour of the northern hemisphere in 1905, during which the team's only defeat was against Wales in Cardiff.

The All Blacks completed their first series win over arch-rivals South Africa ("The Springboks") in New Zealand in 1956. A decade later, they achieved their longest winning streak by winning seventeen Tests between 1965 and 1970. The British and Irish Lions achieved their only series victory over the All Blacks in 1971, but seven years later the All Blacks completed their first Grand Slam (wins over England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales on the same tour).

The 1981 Springbok tour to New Zealand caused large scale civil unrest due to protests over South Africa's apartheid policy. In 1987 New Zealand hosted and won the inaugural Rugby World Cup. New Zealand toured post-apartheid South Africa in 1996, and achieved their first series win on South African soil.

All Blacks Tries and Tackles

Early New Zealand national rugby uniforms consisted of a black jersey with a silver fern and white knickerbockers. By their 1905 tour the All Blacks were wearing all black, except for the silver fern, and their All Black name dates from this time. The All Blacks traditionally perform a haka (Maori posture dance) before each match. Traditionally, the haka performed is Te Rauparaha's Ka Mate, though since 2005, a new haka, Kapa o Pango, has occasionally been performed.

Official home of the All Blacks

Alternate Rugby Commentry comical recap on the Tri-Nations Rugby Tournament

Reviews / Comments for All Blacks (Rugby Union)

Rating Averages


2007 World Cup, Bugger!
Well we did it again, lost a big match to an underdog.
I feel sorry for the team who will feel 1000 times worse than anyone else.

But it does bring up a few questions.

Do we worry about the World Cup to much during the four years before?
Should we not just try and put the best team on the park and win every game?
This means everyone knows everyone, and what each move is, who is running beside you.(not so many drop balls and misunderstandings).
Not under valuing the All Black Jersey, you have to earn it, not just "get your turn" This keeps the real passion for those fringe players and guys who have earned their spot stay there, until someone gets an opportunity and "plays their arse off" to knock out the current no1.

Reconditioning period;
This may or may not have worked, but hard Super 12 rugby may have given all the players match conditioning, instead of lifting weights and running sprints.

That's about it really.
We now start again
"on a journey"
"rotating players and reconditioning players", (are they broken why recondition them).
looking to the next World Cup.
What will the next catch phrase be?

Did you find this review useful? +3


The use of the word "Brand" just reminds us all that its not about the sport, it's about the money that is made.

Most at the NZRU are business people they are gutted about not winning the world cup. But not like the players or fans. The are gutted because of the money that they will lose.

Ever since professional rugby came in, its always been about the money and not the game.

Why don't we the help the Pacfic nations out with test matches in the Islands, Money.
Why is there an over kill on Tri-Nations matches , Money.
Why have they added more Super Rugby teams, Money.
Why don't the play more day games, Money.
Why don't they wear a New Zealand brand, Money.
Why did they try and stop people using the Silver Fern, Money.

Everything the fans and players would like to see are not done because the loss of too much money.

The All Blacks are a brand, not a team and the game is not a game, but a money making exercise.

Did you find this review useful? +6

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