Wales national rugby union team they had not lost at home since 1899. This New Zealand team now referred to as the "Original All Blacks"was the first of the southern hemisphere national teams to visit the British Isles, and were undefeated on their tour up until that point; their victories included prior defeats of England, Ireland and Scotland. Before the match, the All Blacks performed a haka (a Māori posture dance); the 47,000-strong crowd responded with the Welsh national anthem"Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" ("Land of Our Fathers")the first time a national anthem had been sung before a sporting fixture. Wales' wing Teddy Morgan scored a
2003 Football League Second Division play-off Final construction works. Neither Cardiff or QPR had ever played a match at the ground. In previous years, the British national anthem God Save the Queen had been sung by during the pre-match ceremony. As Cardiff are a Welsh team, enquiries were made to the Football League regarding the Welsh national anthem Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau also being sung but was rejected with the Football League stating that the match was "a club game, not an international fixture." This was despite both anthems being played prior to the 1997 Football League Third Division play-off Final when another Welsh team, Swansea City,