History Of New Zealand All Blacks

The All Blacks have won the Rugby World Cup once (1987) and eight times raised the Three Nations cup. And have completed the Grand Slam (wins over England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland) on two occasions. Currently the All Blacks are positioned at the top of the ranking of international Rugby.

The tradition dates back to 1905 when a New Zealand national team players made a tour of the British Isles first and then went on to France and America.

On this tour they were pitted against the best of English clubs, Welsh, Scottish and Irish rugby, and the powerful combination nationals. The tour lasted more than six months (September 1905 – February 1906) and the team then called The Originals, played 33 matches, winning 31, tying 1 and losing a single match, against Wales.

The impression left in the home of rugby was so great that since then New Zealand has been continuously recognized as one of the greatest powers of rugby. During this tour, they also adopted the name that today is still the selection of New Zealand, aka the All Blacks.

There is also the theory on the name “All Blacks” as a degeneration of the phrase “All Back” as a reference to the players returning to New Zealand after this triumphant tour, it is certainly not accosiated with skin colour.

Contrary to popular belief, this name is also not due to the black strip worn by players from New Zealand, The All Blacks have made a landmark name in the rugby very equivalent equivalent to Brazilian football. Over time, the name was distorted and All Backs went to the All Blacks.

In New Zealand, no one was aware that a group of rugby players had gone to England to demonstrate their skills. As the best English clubs were being defeated by shocking results and news of what happened gradually seeping in newspapers back home, a feeling of national unity for this team was forging, to convert those genuine Originals heroes on their return to the All Blacks.

Moreover, the only game lost by New Zealand to Wales, began one of the greatest rivalries in rugby, as only 5 teams have been able to defeat the All Blacks in a rugby stadium in England, France, South Africa Australia and Wales.

Since 1932 and after Lord Bledisloe, the then governor general of New Zealand, began a contest between Australia and New Zealand, the Bledisloe Cup until 1981 it was played in an irregular manner, without a pre-schedule -set.

From 1981 until 1995 was disputed by annual double game. Beginning in 1995, and to the exclusion of South Africa in sporting competitions at international level, introduced the Tri Nations tournament, like the Six Nations tournament but including the best three teams in the southern hemisphere:

If you are a rugby fan, or even if you are not, you should never miss the opportunity to see one of New Zealand’s treasured icons in action on their home turf.

The spectacle of the Haka or traditional opening to the games is an event in its self as you can see from this short video