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The NZ All Blacks, officially known as the New Zealand
National Rugby Union Team, represents New Zealand in rugby
union. New Zealand’s national sport, rugby union is the most
popular sport in the country. The All Blacks have an
impressive record of wins versus every rugby team they have
played against internationally. This includes the Irish and
British Lions.
New Zealand competes every year in the Tri-Nations Series
against the Wallabies (Australia) and the Springboks (South
Africa). New Zealand has won the championship 9 times out of
the 13 years of tournament’s history.
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Along with the Tri-Nations games, Australia competes for the
Bledisloe Cup (which is currently held by New Zealand).
Australia competes with them for this every year. In 1978,
2005, and again in 2008, New Zealand has completed a Grand
Slam of the 4 Home Nations.
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New Zealand ranks as the number 2 team in the IRB World
Rankings and in 2005, 2006, and 2008 was named the
International Rugby Board Team of the Year. To date 14
former All Blacks team members have been placed in the
International Rugby Hall of Fame and 1 is in the
International Rugby Board Hall of Fame.
In 1884, the New Zealand team competed for the first time
against New South Wales’ Cumberland County. Their first test
match was played in 1903 which was a roaring victory versus
Australia. A tour of the northern hemisphere followed in
1905.
Originally, the New Zealand team's uniforms were
made up of a black jersey with white knickerbockers
and a silver fern. |
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The NZ team was wearing all black by their 1905 tour, with
the exception of the silver fern, and this was when the team
was named “All Black”. Traditionally, the team from New
Zealand performs a Maori posture dance called the “haka”
prior to each match.
The Te Rauparaha's Ka Mate is the haka dance traditionally
performed. But by 2005, a modified version of the All
Blacks’ 1924 haka, Kia Whaka-ngawari, is sometimes
performed.
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Currently, the All Blacks uniform is completely black, with
the silver fern of the New Zealand Rugby Union and the logo
of Adidas on the front. The team’s tour to Australia in 1884
their first overseas rugby tour, and the uniforms used were
a far cry from today’s look. At that time, a gold fern
adorned the team’s dark blue jersey.
Today, the All Blacks jersey is said to be the most
recognizable jersey in rugby. It has become a recent
tradition for the New Zealand team to have an
embroidered poppy on the sleeve of their jersey when
they play against France during the last tours of
each year.
The poppy is a
symbol to honour the brave soldiers who gave up their lives
on European battlefields. |
Traditionally, the change kit has always been black shorts
with white shirts. Black shorts and gray shirts were used as
a change kit for a few years. But the team reverted to the
old black shorts and white jersey on May of 2009. |
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