Union Purgatory
“If we need any proof that God is a New Zealander,” writes The Australian’s Bret Harris, “it is the hell that Wallabies coach Robbie Deans is going through.” “Deans’ mortal sin was leaving New…
Tag Archives: All Blacks
Tokyo Tactics Pay Off
The All Blacks extended their seven-match unbeaten record over the Wallabies with a score of 32–19 watched by a crowd of 44,030 at Tokyo’s National Stadium. Dan Carter kicked 22 points to add to…
Best Shape Yet
Jonah Lomu, 34, returns to rugby this month playing for French amateur side Marseille-Vitrolles and he says he is in the best shape ever. Once the most feared man in world rugby, Lomu, who…
Pressure for the Best
All Black coach Graham Henry has told The Independent that though New Zealand’s national team has a much smaller resource than the majority of countries, this is what makes his job so interesting and…
Lomu Gets Ripped
Former All Black great Jonah Lomu, 34, stepped back into the limelight coming second in the Men’s Open over-90kg class at the NZFBB Body Building Championships in Wellington, an exercise in weight-loss before making…
Back to Blacks
World champion Black Ferns will play a rare double-header with the All Blacks against England at London’s Twickenham on November 21 – something Black Ferns coach Brian Evans believed would inspire his players. “Twickenham…
Closing Time
The All Blacks head to South Africa for the Tri-Nations Tournament as the best closers in rugby. In the last five meetings between the All Blacks and the Springboks, the All Blacks have dominated…
Bledisloe Cup Memories
All Black Evan “Ted” Jessep, who was born in 1904 and died in 1983, debuted for New Zealand in 1931 at Eden Park against the Wallabies as the second hooker in a two-man front…
Battle Commences
The All Blacks have won their first match in the 2009 Bledisloe Cup and Tri-Nations series against Australia 22–16 at Auckland’s Eden Park. With skipper Richie McCaw back to lead the way, the All…
Ospreys Welcome Collins
Former All Black back-rower Jerry Collins, 28, has signed two-year contract with Welsh Liberty Stadium side the Ospreys having arrived from French team Toulon. Collins says he is taking nothing for granted at his…
Back in the Hot Seats
All Blacks head coach Graham Henry and his two assistants Wayne Smith and Steve Hansen have been re-appointed for an extended two seasons until the end of the 2011 World Cup. “Graham, Wayne and…
Candid in Cork
Doug Howlett, 30, who is based in Cork having signed with Munster in 2008, is profiled in the Irish Times which discusses the Northern Hemisphere team, his family and whether he’ll return to New…
All Black Nostalgia
Dan Carter is returning to New Zealand from his time playing in Perpignan, France and in the first of an exclusive two part interview with The Independent, Carter “makes an unequivocal statement about a…
Miliaina to Skipper
Fullback Mils Muliaina will captain the All Blacks home tests against France and Italy in June, taking over from an injured Richie McCaw. “Mils is in the leaders group in the All Blacks,” New…
Harlequins Hero
As Harlequins fly-half, Nick Evans “produced the greatest four minutes of controlled rugby I have been privileged to see against Stade Français” according to Times sports columnist Stuart Barnes. Evans next plays on Sunday…
Dark Past Revisited
New Zealand-born Zak Feaunati, a former Samoan international rugby player, has been selected to play All Black legend Jonah Lomu in the upcoming film The Human Factor. The film includes the Springboks’ victory over…
Whiti te ra
The ‘Ka Mate’ haka has been officially designated the intellectual property of Ngati Toa in a compensation agreement signed in Wellington. Ngati Toa was compensated for its decades of use by the All Blacks,…
Gains from history
A Maori welcome onto a marae for visitors, a walking tour with Footprints Waipoua and the All Black performance of the haka are all examples of Maori reclaiming their heritage and promoting their culture…
Australasian Citizenship
Wellington-born David Kirk, former All Black captain and chief executive of Fairfax, is now an Australian citizen. Kirk, skipper of the World Cup winners in the inaugural 1987 tournament, confirmed he would always…
2000: All Blacks vs Wallabies
See why this match was described by many as ‘the best game of rugby ever played’.
Goodbye to a Good Guy
Former All Black front rower John Drake has died at his home in Mt Maunganui aged 49. Drake was a tighthead prop in the World Cup-winning All Blacks team of 1987. In recent years…
Rugby’s Slam Dunk
The All Blacks have won their third Grand Slam and the inaugural Sir Edmund Hillary Shield beating England at Twickenham 32-6. In The Independent Hugh Godwin writes: “The clever clogs who got rid of…
AB Supporters Take Heed
New Zealander and London-based publisher Martin Moodie was “probably one of only 500 in the 26,000 strong crowd” at Limerick’s Thomond Park when the All Blacks played Munster, “ and was honoured to be…
Te Rauparaha’s War Cry
The all-Maori team first performed a haka against Surrey in Richmond in 1888 where they, according to theIllustrated London News, “cavorted about in ostrich-feather capes and tassell’d caps in a device of novelty and…
Looking Back to Black
Former All Black hooker Anton Oliver, 33, is now studying at Oxford University for an MSc in Biodiversity, Conservation and Management, but he’ll play “one more decent game” against Cambridge in the Nomura Varsity…
Rugby’s Poster Boy
All Black fly-half Dan Carter, who recently made number 11 on American network E! Entertainment channel’s list of the 25 Sexiest Men of the World, this week also featured in CNN’s Talk Asia series….
Winning Ways
Former All Black captain Sean Fitzpatrick has been asked to take part in a one-on-one mentoring initiative with a group of young Scotland players. Fitzpatrick will be linked with Ross Ford, the present Scotland…
Top Honours in Toulouse
Dunedin-born Byron Kelleher, 31, former All Black and now scrum-half for French team Toulouse, has been voted the Top 14’s player of the season, succeeding Stade Francais’ Argentinean Juan Martin Hernandez. Kelleher scored three…
Emotional Win
The All Blacks have retained the Tri-Nations title for the fourth successive year, beating the Wallabies 28-24 in Brisbane. Sustained by the brilliance of captain Richie McCaw and also Rodney So’oialo, the All Blacks…
Ambition at the Stoop
North Shore-raised former All-Black Nick Evans, 27, now fly-half for English side the Harlequins, could be the player the team needs to help them clinch a top four spot in the Guinness Premiership. So…
Second Chance for Henry
Graham Henry has been reappointed as the All Blacks’ head coach, despite widespread criticism of his 2007 Rugby World Cup campaign. Henry, who has vowed to learn from his World Cup mistakes, has signed a two-year…
Mighty Totara of NZ Rugby
All Black and NZ Maori legend Pat Walsh has died of cancer aged 71. Renowned for his versatility, Walsh played 13 Tests in four positions between 1955 and 1963. He served as…
Painful Memories
Two NZ athletes feature in a list of sport’s 20 worst injuries, as chosen by The Times of South Africa. Cricketer Trevor Franklin is ranked 17th and former All Black captain Buck Shelford 15th in a…
Hidden Treasures and Rugged Escapades
The London Times ran two travel articles on NZ last weekend. The first asked past and present All Blacks Richie McCaw, Anton Oliver, Reuben Thorne, Tana Umaga and Sean Fitzpatrick to “divulge their secret hot spots”….
Curse of the Perennial Favourites
Another NZ Rugby World Cup campaign has ended in tatters, with the All Blacks bowing out 18-20 to France in the quarterfinal. Despite being consistently ranked first in the world, and NZ being the only…
Influential Exports
Two New Zealanders made The Bulletin‘s annual list of the 50 most influential businesspeople in Australia. Fairfax Media Chief Executive David Kirk is ranked fifteenth on the list. The former All Black Captain has headed the publishing…
Carter in Adidas Viral
All Black Daniel Carter stars in a new viral advertisement for Adidas. The ad was shot at Carter’s parents’ house, and shows Daniel and his father talking about his childhood spent kicking goals in the back…
Familiar tastes in France
NZ rugby fans in France have been able to enjoy a taste of home at Le Maori Cafe in Lyons. Owned by Aucklander Tai Pepere, who played rugby league for French club Catalans…
Order of Merit for Lomu and Fagan
Two NZ sports greats were made members of the New Zealand Order of Merit at this year’s investiture ceremony. All Black legend Jonah Lomu and sheep shearing champion David Fagan (pictured) both received…
Golden Vili
Shot put star Valerie Vili has won gold at the IAAF Athletics World Championships in Osaka, Japan. Vili threw a personal best of 20.54 meters, beating defending champion Nadzeya Ostapchuk of Belarus by six centimetres. “It’s pretty…
Two Down, One to Go
The All Blacks have completed the final leg of their World Cup build-up by retaining both the Bledisloe and TriNations trophies, with a 26–12 defeat of the Wallabies…
Watch This Space
Former All Black star Jonah Lomu believes he is back to his physical peak and will not rule out a return to rugby – or even a switch to rugby league. “It’s irrelevant what everyone else…
Benjamin McHugh: God Defend New Zealand
Brendan McHugh sings God Defend New Zealand before an All Blacks test match.
Brand Passion Paramount
Sean Fitzpatrick and the All Blacks are held up as inspiring examples for business leaders by American finance blogger, Jim Citrin: “No other sports franchise in the world has achieved a 72 percent winning percentage over…
All Blacks vs. England: God Defend New Zealand
God Defend New Zealand sung before the All Blacks played England.
NZ Judge Finds PM Blair Guilty
Retired NZ Supreme Court judge Ted Thomas has published an article condemning outgoing British PM Tony Blair for his “immoral and illegal” invasion of Iraq. The essay, which is written as a judicial…
Impossible is Nothing to Lomu
All Black legend Jonah Lomu is one of 21 elite athletes to feature in the latest advertising campaign by Adidas. Titled Impossible is Nothing, the series shows internationally recognised sports figures discussing how they overcame adversity in their…
Home Town Tribute
A memorial to legendary All Black captain Dave Gallaher is being planned in his home town of Ramelton, Ireland. The Dave Gallaher Society is proposing the transformation of a bottle recycling waste ground into a walled…
Japan Nets All Black Great
Former All Black John Kirwan has signed a two-year contract to coach Japan’s national rugby team. Kirwan will lead the side in its World Cup efforts this year, with plans to hone 6 elite players down…
All Blacks Depart Europe Undefeated
The All Blacks completed their European end-of-year tour with a comprehensive victory at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, overcoming the Welsh 45-10. The result, means that the All Blacks finish the 2006 season with 13…
