New Zealand Rugby Football Union
Encyclopedia
The New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) (formerly the New Zealand Rugby Football Union) is the governing body of rugby union
in New Zealand
, it was founded in 1892, 12 years after the first Provincial Unions in New Zealand, and in 1949, became an affiliate to the International Rugby Board
, the governing body of Rugby Union for the world. The Union's main objectives, as displayed in the NZRU Constitution is to, promote and develop rugby throughout New Zealand; arrange and participate in international, trial and other rugby matches and tours in New Zealand and Overseas; represent New Zealand on the International Rugby Board
; form and manage NZ representative teams; and encourage participation in, and support for, rugby players and supporters at all levels of the game. NZRU Headquarters are located in Wellington
, New Zealand.
There are currently 11 NZRU Board Members, President, John Sturgeon, was elected in 2009, who received the position from Andy Leslie
in 2009. Steve Tew is the current Chief Executive and Sir Wilson Whineray
is the current Patron.
The NZRU currently have eight representative teams, while the New Zealand Maori rugby union team
was postponed for the 2009 Pacific Nations Cup
, replaced by the Junior All Blacks
, with NZRU Chief Executive Steve Tew
stating "while the long-term view was that the New Zealand Maori team was the best fit for the Pacific Nations Cup, the development of the top level of players as a pathway to the All Blacks was a more urgent priority in 2009
, who has held the title since 2003 and was last re-elected for a three-year term starting in 2007. Previously, the role was filled ex officio by the Governor-General of New Zealand.
The President and Vice President of the NZRU are the Union's two officers who represent the NZRU and New Zealand Rugby at rugby and non-rugby functions and events. Unlike the NZRU Patron, the President and Vice President are entitled to attend NZRU Board Meetings, but are not entitled to vote on Board matters. The President and Vice President are elected for two years each. The current President is John Sturgeon, former All Blacks Manager, and the current Vice President is Bryan Williams.
The NZRU Board is charged with setting strategy, direction and policy for the NZRU, and is ultimately responsible for the decisions and actions of NZRU management and staff. Many of the decisions concerning New Zealand’s national teams, domestic competitions, financial management and rugby traditions are made by the Board.
The Board has nine members: six zonal representatives, one Maori representative and two independent Board Members.
in December 2010 after Hobbs was forced to resign for health reasons.
The CEO is responsible with the Board for the establishment of the vision and strategy for the organization, acts as the key link between the Board and the staff, and is ultimately responsible for the administrative and operational aspects of the NZRU, the current CEO is Steve Tew
, who was elected in 2008.
The General Manager Professional Rugby oversees NZRU’s High Performance development, the Professional Players Collective Employment Agreement, Professional Player, Coach, Referee and other team management contracting, Other National Teams, Medical, Health and Safety, and Sports Science initiatives, the current General Manager Professional Rugby is Neil Sorensen.
The General Manager Community and Provincial Rugby oversees the relationships between the NZRU and the Provincial Unions and leads and manages the NZRU’s Community rugby strategy and initiatives, Buck Anderson currently holds the title. The General Manager Commercial and Finance oversees a broad portfolio of interrelated business units, including commercial and marketing, finance, business planning and development, communications, broadcasting, and IT, Stuart Robb received this position in 2007.
The General Manager Corporate Services oversees the support functions within the NZRU, including human resources, legal counsel, and office management, Kirsten Patterson holds this title.
The All Blacks Manager heads a small team of staff dedicated to managing the All Blacks team and other activities specific to New Zealand’s top rugby team, Darren Shand is the current All Blacks Manager and has been so since 2004.
The first rugby match to be played in New Zealand took place in Nelson in May 1870, between Nelson College and Nelson Football Club. The game spread quickly and in September 1875 the first interprovincial match took place in Dunedin, between Auckland Clubs and Dunedin Clubs. In 1879, the first Provincial Unions were formed in Canterbury and Wellington.
On Saturday 16 April 1892, in a meeting held in Wellington
, the New Zealand Rugby Union was formed. Inaugural members were the Provincial Unions of Auckland
, Hawke's Bay
, Manawatu
, Marlborough
, Nelson
, South Canterbury
, Taranaki, Waiararapa
, Wanganui
and Wellington
. At the time, three major South Island Provincial Unions – Canterbury
, Otago
and Southland – resisted the central authority of the NZRU.
In 1893, the NZRU formally adopted the black jersey as the national playing strip and selected the first NZRU-sanctioned national team, for a tour of Australia. However, the earlier New Zealand team selected to tour New South Wales in 1884 is recognised as a New Zealand team and its players recognised as All Blacks.
By 1895, with the additions of the Bush, Canterbury, Horowhenua, Otago, Poverty Bay, Southland and West Coast unions, the NZRU was considered to be a complete and united collection of all New Zealand rugby players. However, the New Zealand rugby map would be repeatedly redrawn in the following decades.
At the Annual Meeting in 1921, the NZRU elected its first Life Member, George Dixon, manager of the 1905 “Originals” All Blacks and the NZRU’s first Chairman, appointed in 1904. In another innovation, provincial delegates met prior to the Annual Meeting to arrange representative fixtures for the season ahead, introducing a new level of national coordination.
was brought in to determine the top placed team. Auckland
have been the most successful team in the NPC's history with 16 championships including the last in 2005.
At the conclusion of the NPC there were three divisions and 27 Rugby Unions under the NZRU's jurisdiction, it was replaced by the Air New Zealand Cup and Heartland Championship
in 2006 with 14 teams in the top competition, including the new Tasman Makos, who formed with the amalgamation of the Marlborough and Nelson Bays Rugby Unions, and 12 teams in the amateur Heartland Championship. After a 2010 change in sponsorship, the Air New Zealand Cup became the ITM Cup.
The first New Zealand team was selected in 1884, for a tour to New South Wales
. The team played its first match at home, against a Wellington XV, before recording eight wins in eight matches in Australia. Otago
prop James Allan
, who played eight matches for the 1884 team, has the title of All Black No 1.
In 1893, the first official NZRU-sanctioned New Zealand team was selected, for an 11-match tour to Australia
. The team lost just once, to New South Wales
in Sydney
.
In 1894, an official New Zealand team hosted visiting opposition on home soil for the first time, in a match against New South Wales at Christchurch
won 8–6 by the visitors, two years later, New Zealand beat Queensland
at Wellington
to record its first home win against visiting opposition.
New Zealand’s 1905–06 tour to the United Kingdom
, France and North America might be considered the most important in New Zealand rugby history. The team played 35 matches in total, losing just once. In the United Kingdom especially, the team’s largely confident, attractive and comfortable wins made a strong statement about the quality of rugby in the colonies and New Zealand in particular. Moreover, the 1905–06 tour gave rise to the famous “All Blacks” moniker, as the fame surrounding the black-clad team spread. Nowadays, this team is known as “the Originals” – they were the first team to demonstrate the power and skill of New Zealand rugby, the first to make rugby a part of New Zealand’s cultural identity, and the first to be known as All Blacks.
In 1924–25, the All Blacks embarked on a 32-match tour to the United Kingdom, France and Canada. Going one better than the 1905–06 Originals, this team won all 32 matches, including Test wins over Ireland, Wales, England and France, and earned the nickname “the Invincibles”.
In 1956, the All Blacks won a Test series against South Africa for the first time. The Springboks were the All Blacks’ greatest traditional rivals and had delivered some of the All Blacks’ worst defeats.
In 1978, the All Blacks achieved a Grand Slam for the first time. For southern hemisphere sides like New Zealand, a Grand Slam includes victories over the four Home Unions – England
, Ireland
, Scotland
and Wales
– in the course of a single tour. The team achieved a second Grand Slam in 2005 and a third in 2008
In 1987, the All Blacks won the inaugural Rugby World Cup
, hosted by New Zealand and Australia.
New Zealand are the current holders of the Webb Ellis Trophy after beating France by 8 points to 7 in the Rugby World Cup final in front of a home crowd.
in South Africa
, international rugby turned professional with the IRB’s repeal of all amateurism regulations. For the first time, the NZRU negotiated with and contracted New Zealand rugby players.
The NZRU also joined with the national unions of Australia
and South Africa
to form SANZAR
, which sold the television rights for major southern hemisphere rugby competitions and helped to build the commercial foundation on which professional rugby is based. SANZAR remains an important rugby organisation and organises the Super 14
and Tri Nations competitions.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, it was founded in 1892, 12 years after the first Provincial Unions in New Zealand, and in 1949, became an affiliate to the International Rugby Board
International Rugby Board
The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...
, the governing body of Rugby Union for the world. The Union's main objectives, as displayed in the NZRU Constitution is to, promote and develop rugby throughout New Zealand; arrange and participate in international, trial and other rugby matches and tours in New Zealand and Overseas; represent New Zealand on the International Rugby Board
International Rugby Board
The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...
; form and manage NZ representative teams; and encourage participation in, and support for, rugby players and supporters at all levels of the game. NZRU Headquarters are located in Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
, New Zealand.
There are currently 11 NZRU Board Members, President, John Sturgeon, was elected in 2009, who received the position from Andy Leslie
Andy Leslie
Andrew Roy "Andy" Leslie MNZM is a former All Black captain and number eight. On 26 April 2007 he was elected as the president of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union....
in 2009. Steve Tew is the current Chief Executive and Sir Wilson Whineray
Wilson Whineray
Sir Wilson James Whineray, KNZM, OBE is a former business executive and the longest-serving captain of the All Blacks, New Zealand's national rugby union team. Rugby writer T.P. McLean considered him the All Blacks' greatest captain.He first played for the All Blacks in 1957...
is the current Patron.
The NZRU currently have eight representative teams, while the New Zealand Maori rugby union team
New Zealand Maori rugby union team
New Zealand Māori is a rugby union team that traditionally plays teams touring New Zealand. A prerequisite for playing in this team is that the player is to have Māori whakapapa or genealogy. In the past this rule was not strictly applied. In the past non-Māori players who looked Māori were often...
was postponed for the 2009 Pacific Nations Cup
2009 IRB Pacific Nations Cup
The 2009 Pacific Nations Cup is a rugby union tournament held between five national sides on the Pacific Rim: Fiji, Japan, Samoa, Tonga and the Junior All Blacks. The New Zealand Māori team that won the tournament last year will no longer take part in this competition because of a decision taken by...
, replaced by the Junior All Blacks
Junior All Blacks
The Junior All Blacks are a New Zealand rugby union team. The Junior All Blacks are not an age grade side, but the second national team behind the New Zealand national rugby union team....
, with NZRU Chief Executive Steve Tew
Steve Tew
Steve Tew is the current CEO of the New Zealand Rugby Union and has been a member of the NZRFU since 2001. He took over the position from Chris Moller after the poor showing of the All Blacks in the 2007 Rugby World Cup...
stating "while the long-term view was that the New Zealand Maori team was the best fit for the Pacific Nations Cup, the development of the top level of players as a pathway to the All Blacks was a more urgent priority in 2009
Structure
The NZRU was initially governed by a committee of delegates from the provincial unions until replaced in 1894 by a seven-member Wellington-based management committee. This was expanded 43 years later to create two entities, the ruling NZRU Council and an executive committee. In 1986, the NZRU introduced the three zones and the executive committee was replaced by an administration committee. Ten years later the council was replaced by the current NZRU Board which included independent board members. Administrative responsibilities were initially held by honorary secretaries, and then secretaries, from 1907. Since 1990, the NZRU has been managed by a CEO.Patrons and Officers
The NZRU Patron fills an honorary role as the figurehead for the organization. The current Patron is former All Blacks captain Sir Wilson WhinerayWilson Whineray
Sir Wilson James Whineray, KNZM, OBE is a former business executive and the longest-serving captain of the All Blacks, New Zealand's national rugby union team. Rugby writer T.P. McLean considered him the All Blacks' greatest captain.He first played for the All Blacks in 1957...
, who has held the title since 2003 and was last re-elected for a three-year term starting in 2007. Previously, the role was filled ex officio by the Governor-General of New Zealand.
The President and Vice President of the NZRU are the Union's two officers who represent the NZRU and New Zealand Rugby at rugby and non-rugby functions and events. Unlike the NZRU Patron, the President and Vice President are entitled to attend NZRU Board Meetings, but are not entitled to vote on Board matters. The President and Vice President are elected for two years each. The current President is John Sturgeon, former All Blacks Manager, and the current Vice President is Bryan Williams.
NZRU Board
| Patron | Sir Wilson Whineray Wilson Whineray Sir Wilson James Whineray, KNZM, OBE is a former business executive and the longest-serving captain of the All Blacks, New Zealand's national rugby union team. Rugby writer T.P. McLean considered him the All Blacks' greatest captain.He first played for the All Blacks in 1957... |
| NZRU Board Members | |
| President | John Sturgeon |
| Vice President | Bryan Williams |
| Chairman | Mike Eagle |
| Central Representative | Graham Mourie Graham Mourie Graham Neil Kenneth Mourie is a former New Zealand All Black flanker and coach of the Hurricanes. He was one of the great All Black Captains in the late 70s and early 80s... |
| Maori Representative | Wayne Peters |
| Northern Representatives | Ivan Haines |
| Gerard Van Tilborg | |
| Southern Representatives | Mike Eagle |
| Mark Peters | |
| Independent Members | Ken Douglas Ken Douglas Ken Douglas, ONZ is New Zealand's best known contemporary trade union leader.As President of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions until 1999 Douglas led the union movement in New Zealand for over fifteen years. His union career started in the Driver's Union... |
| Bill Thurston | |
The NZRU Board is charged with setting strategy, direction and policy for the NZRU, and is ultimately responsible for the decisions and actions of NZRU management and staff. Many of the decisions concerning New Zealand’s national teams, domestic competitions, financial management and rugby traditions are made by the Board.
The Board has nine members: six zonal representatives, one Maori representative and two independent Board Members.
Zonal Representatives
New Zealand’s 26 Provincial Unions are divided into three zones – North, Central and South – and two representatives from each zone are elected to the Board. These zonal representatives are nominated by a Provincial Union within their zone and are elected by a vote of all 26 Unions at the Annual General Meeting. From the six zonal representatives, a Chairman is elected; the position is currently held by Mike Eagle, who replaced Jock HobbsJock Hobbs
Michael James "Jock" Bowie Hobbs, CNZM is a former New Zealand rugby union player who was an All Blacks flanker who played in 21 tests between 1983 and 1986, with four tests as captain. In recent years he has been prominent in rugby administration...
in December 2010 after Hobbs was forced to resign for health reasons.
Maori Representatives
The Maori representative may be nominated by any Provincial Union and is elected by a vote of all the Unions at the Annual General Meeting. The Maori representative is automatically appointed as NZRU representative on and Chairman of the New Zealand Maori Rugby Board.Independent Board Members
The two independent Board Members must be independent of any Provincial Union and are not nominated for the role. Instead, independent Board Members must apply for the position and are selected on the basis of their professional qualifications and experience by a committee of the NZRU Board.NZRU Management and Staff
The NZRU Management and Staff is headed by a senior management team that includes the Chief Executive Officer, General Manager Professional Rugby, General Manager Community and Provincial Union Rugby, General Manager Commercial and Finance, General Manager Corporate Services and All Blacks Manager.The CEO is responsible with the Board for the establishment of the vision and strategy for the organization, acts as the key link between the Board and the staff, and is ultimately responsible for the administrative and operational aspects of the NZRU, the current CEO is Steve Tew
Steve Tew
Steve Tew is the current CEO of the New Zealand Rugby Union and has been a member of the NZRFU since 2001. He took over the position from Chris Moller after the poor showing of the All Blacks in the 2007 Rugby World Cup...
, who was elected in 2008.
The General Manager Professional Rugby oversees NZRU’s High Performance development, the Professional Players Collective Employment Agreement, Professional Player, Coach, Referee and other team management contracting, Other National Teams, Medical, Health and Safety, and Sports Science initiatives, the current General Manager Professional Rugby is Neil Sorensen.
The General Manager Community and Provincial Rugby oversees the relationships between the NZRU and the Provincial Unions and leads and manages the NZRU’s Community rugby strategy and initiatives, Buck Anderson currently holds the title. The General Manager Commercial and Finance oversees a broad portfolio of interrelated business units, including commercial and marketing, finance, business planning and development, communications, broadcasting, and IT, Stuart Robb received this position in 2007.
The General Manager Corporate Services oversees the support functions within the NZRU, including human resources, legal counsel, and office management, Kirsten Patterson holds this title.
The All Blacks Manager heads a small team of staff dedicated to managing the All Blacks team and other activities specific to New Zealand’s top rugby team, Darren Shand is the current All Blacks Manager and has been so since 2004.
History
The New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) was formed in 1892 to administer the game of rugby union at the national level. At that time, the national union was known as the New Zealand Rugby Football Union or NZRFU. The name was officially shortened in 2006 with the removal of the word “Football”.The first rugby match to be played in New Zealand took place in Nelson in May 1870, between Nelson College and Nelson Football Club. The game spread quickly and in September 1875 the first interprovincial match took place in Dunedin, between Auckland Clubs and Dunedin Clubs. In 1879, the first Provincial Unions were formed in Canterbury and Wellington.
Formation and Early Years
| Ernest Hoben |
|---|
| The NZRU’s strongest advocate and first secretary, Ernest Hoben, was a driving force behind the formation of the national union. In recognition of Hoben’s contribution, the "Ernest Hoben Room" at the NZRU’s offices in Wellington now displays all 26 provincial jerseys alongside photos of past All Blacks teams and the names of every All Black in New Zealand rugby history. |
On Saturday 16 April 1892, in a meeting held in Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
, the New Zealand Rugby Union was formed. Inaugural members were the Provincial Unions of Auckland
Auckland Rugby Football Union
The Auckland Rugby Football Union is the governing body of rugby union in the Auckland Region, in the North Island of New Zealand. Its colours are navy blue and white in a hoop design. Auckland's top representative team have won New Zealand's top provincial rugby competition 16 times, more than...
, Hawke's Bay
Hawke's Bay Rugby Union
The Hawke's Bay Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in the Hawke's Bay region of New Zealand. The union is based in Napier.-Representative rugby:...
, Manawatu
Manawatu Rugby Union
Manawatu Rugby Union is the governing body of the sport of Rugby union in the Manawatu rugby province. The Union is based in the city of Palmerston North but has a catchment area from nearby towns in the province, including Feilding, Rongotea, Linton, Bulls, Pahiatua, Dannevirke and...
, Marlborough
Marlborough Rugby Union
Marlborough Rugby Union was a New Zealand rugby union team that played from 1888-2005.Marlborough was founded in 1888 and played at Lansdowne Park in Blenheim.-Championships:...
, Nelson
Nelson Bays Rugby Union
Nelson Bays Rugby Union was a New Zealand rugby union team that played from 1968-2005.Nelson Bays was founded in 1968 when Nelson merged with Golden Bay-Motueka and played until 2005 when they joined with Marlborough to become Tasman Rugby Union in 2006....
, South Canterbury
South Canterbury Rugby Football Union
The South Canterbury Rugby Football Union is a rugby province based in the central South Island city of Timaru, New Zealand. The South Canterbury team play from Alpine Energy Stadium located in Timaru.-History:...
, Taranaki, Waiararapa
Wairarapa Bush Rugby Football Union
The Wairarapa Bush Rugby Football Union was formed in 1971 with the amalgamation of the Wairarapa Rugby Football Union and Bush Rugby Football Union....
, Wanganui
Wanganui Rugby Football Union
The Wanganui Rugby Football Union is the governing body for rugby union in the Wanganui region of New Zealand. The Wanganui Rugby Football Union was formed in 1888....
and Wellington
Wellington Rugby Football Union
The Wellington Rugby Football Union is the official governing body of rugby union in the city of Wellington, the capital of New Zealand...
. At the time, three major South Island Provincial Unions – Canterbury
Canterbury Rugby Football Union
The Canterbury Rugby Football Union is the governing body for rugby union in a substantial part of the Canterbury region, in the middle of the South Island of New Zealand...
, Otago
Otago Rugby Football Union
The Otago Rugby Football Union is the official governing body of rugby union for the Otago Region of New Zealand. The union is based in the city of Dunedin, and its home ground is Forsyth Barr Stadium. The top representative team competes in the ITM Cup, New Zealand's top provincial...
and Southland – resisted the central authority of the NZRU.
In 1893, the NZRU formally adopted the black jersey as the national playing strip and selected the first NZRU-sanctioned national team, for a tour of Australia. However, the earlier New Zealand team selected to tour New South Wales in 1884 is recognised as a New Zealand team and its players recognised as All Blacks.
By 1895, with the additions of the Bush, Canterbury, Horowhenua, Otago, Poverty Bay, Southland and West Coast unions, the NZRU was considered to be a complete and united collection of all New Zealand rugby players. However, the New Zealand rugby map would be repeatedly redrawn in the following decades.
At the Annual Meeting in 1921, the NZRU elected its first Life Member, George Dixon, manager of the 1905 “Originals” All Blacks and the NZRU’s first Chairman, appointed in 1904. In another innovation, provincial delegates met prior to the Annual Meeting to arrange representative fixtures for the season ahead, introducing a new level of national coordination.
Provincial Rugby
In 1976, the National Provincial Championship was formed to help organise matches between provincial unions, it had two divisions in its first year of play but the format was repeatedly reorganized throughout its 30 year history, notably in 1992 the Rugby Union Bonus Points SystemRugby union bonus points system
The Rugby union bonus points system is a method of deciding table points from a rugby union match. It was implemented in order to encourage attacking play throughout a match, to discourage repetitive goal-kicking, and to reward teams for "coming close" in losing efforts...
was brought in to determine the top placed team. Auckland
Auckland representative rugby union team
The Auckland representative rugby union team is the top representative rugby union team under the Auckland Rugby Football Union in New Zealand. It competes in the ITM Cup, renamed from the Air New Zealand Cup in 2010....
have been the most successful team in the NPC's history with 16 championships including the last in 2005.
At the conclusion of the NPC there were three divisions and 27 Rugby Unions under the NZRU's jurisdiction, it was replaced by the Air New Zealand Cup and Heartland Championship
Heartland Championship
The Heartland Championship New Zealand Division One competition, known for sponsorship reasons as the AA Rewards Heartland Championship, is a domestic rugby union competition in New Zealand. It was founded in 2006 as one of two successor competitions to the country's former domestic competition,...
in 2006 with 14 teams in the top competition, including the new Tasman Makos, who formed with the amalgamation of the Marlborough and Nelson Bays Rugby Unions, and 12 teams in the amateur Heartland Championship. After a 2010 change in sponsorship, the Air New Zealand Cup became the ITM Cup.
The All Blacks
The All Blacks are New Zealand’s number one national rugby side and have rated amongst the best in the world for well over 100 years. Their name and distinctive all-black playing strip have become well known to rugby and non-rugby fans worldwide.The first New Zealand team was selected in 1884, for a tour to New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. The team played its first match at home, against a Wellington XV, before recording eight wins in eight matches in Australia. Otago
Otago Rugby Football Union
The Otago Rugby Football Union is the official governing body of rugby union for the Otago Region of New Zealand. The union is based in the city of Dunedin, and its home ground is Forsyth Barr Stadium. The top representative team competes in the ITM Cup, New Zealand's top provincial...
prop James Allan
James Allan (rugby)
James Allan was a former New Zealand rugby union player who played 8 games for the All Blacks, the New Zealand national rugby union team. He is listed as the first All Black in playing order and was nicknamed the Taieri Giant...
, who played eight matches for the 1884 team, has the title of All Black No 1.
In 1893, the first official NZRU-sanctioned New Zealand team was selected, for an 11-match tour to Australia
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
. The team lost just once, to New South Wales
New South Wales Waratahs
The New South Wales Waratahs are an Australian rugby union football team, representing the majority of New South Wales in the Super 15 Super Rugby competition...
in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
.
In 1894, an official New Zealand team hosted visiting opposition on home soil for the first time, in a match against New South Wales at Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
won 8–6 by the visitors, two years later, New Zealand beat Queensland
Queensland Reds
The Queensland Reds represent Queensland in the sport of rugby union in the Southern Hemisphere Super Rugby competition. Prior to 1996 they were a representative team selected on merit from the rugby union club competitions in Queensland...
at Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
to record its first home win against visiting opposition.
New Zealand’s 1905–06 tour to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, France and North America might be considered the most important in New Zealand rugby history. The team played 35 matches in total, losing just once. In the United Kingdom especially, the team’s largely confident, attractive and comfortable wins made a strong statement about the quality of rugby in the colonies and New Zealand in particular. Moreover, the 1905–06 tour gave rise to the famous “All Blacks” moniker, as the fame surrounding the black-clad team spread. Nowadays, this team is known as “the Originals” – they were the first team to demonstrate the power and skill of New Zealand rugby, the first to make rugby a part of New Zealand’s cultural identity, and the first to be known as All Blacks.
In 1924–25, the All Blacks embarked on a 32-match tour to the United Kingdom, France and Canada. Going one better than the 1905–06 Originals, this team won all 32 matches, including Test wins over Ireland, Wales, England and France, and earned the nickname “the Invincibles”.
In 1956, the All Blacks won a Test series against South Africa for the first time. The Springboks were the All Blacks’ greatest traditional rivals and had delivered some of the All Blacks’ worst defeats.
In 1978, the All Blacks achieved a Grand Slam for the first time. For southern hemisphere sides like New Zealand, a Grand Slam includes victories over the four Home Unions – England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
, Ireland
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
, Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
and Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
– in the course of a single tour. The team achieved a second Grand Slam in 2005 and a third in 2008
In 1987, the All Blacks won the inaugural Rugby World Cup
1987 Rugby World Cup
The 1987 Rugby World Cup was the first Rugby World Cup. New Zealand and Australia agreed to co-host the first ever tournament with New Zealand hosting seventeen pool stage matches, two quarter-finals and the final with Australia being the junior partner hosting seven pool matches, two...
, hosted by New Zealand and Australia.
New Zealand are the current holders of the Webb Ellis Trophy after beating France by 8 points to 7 in the Rugby World Cup final in front of a home crowd.
Professional Era
In 1995, following the Rugby World Cup tournament1995 Rugby World Cup
The 1995 Rugby World Cup was the third Rugby World Cup. It was hosted and won by South Africa, and was the first Rugby World Cup in which every match was held in one country....
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, international rugby turned professional with the IRB’s repeal of all amateurism regulations. For the first time, the NZRU negotiated with and contracted New Zealand rugby players.
The NZRU also joined with the national unions of Australia
Australian Rugby Union
The Australian Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Australia. It was founded in 1949 and is a member of the International Rugby Board the sport's governing body. It consists of eight member unions, representing each state and territory...
and South Africa
South African Rugby Union
The South African Rugby Union is the governing body for rugby union in South Africa and is affiliated to the International Rugby Board...
to form SANZAR
SANZAR
SANZAR is the body which operates Super Rugby and Tri Nations competitions in rugby union. It is a joint venture of the South African Rugby Union, the New Zealand Rugby Union and the Australian Rugby Union, formed in 1996.Created shortly after rugby's move to professionalism in 1995, SANZAR's two...
, which sold the television rights for major southern hemisphere rugby competitions and helped to build the commercial foundation on which professional rugby is based. SANZAR remains an important rugby organisation and organises the Super 14
Super 14
Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
and Tri Nations competitions.
Men
- All BlacksAll BlacksThe New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
– the national men's rugby union team of New Zealand - Junior All BlacksJunior All BlacksThe Junior All Blacks are a New Zealand rugby union team. The Junior All Blacks are not an age grade side, but the second national team behind the New Zealand national rugby union team....
– the second national team behind the All Blacks and not an age graded side. - SevensNew Zealand national rugby union team (sevens)The New Zealand national rugby union sevens team is the New Zealand representative team in rugby union sevens and competes in the IRB Sevens World Series, Rugby World Cup Sevens and the Commonwealth Games.-IRB Sevens:...
– the national rugby sevensRugby sevensRugby sevens, also known as seven-a-side or VIIs, is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players, instead of the usual 15, with shorter matches. Rugby sevens is administered by the International Rugby Board , the body responsible for rugby union worldwide...
team of New Zealand. Established in 1983, when the first full international side was sent to the famous Hong Kong Sevens tournamentHong Kong SevensThe Hong Kong Sevens is considered the premier tournament on the IRB Sevens World Series in rugby sevens—a variant of rugby union....
. - New Zealand MāoriNew Zealand Maori rugby union teamNew Zealand Māori is a rugby union team that traditionally plays teams touring New Zealand. A prerequisite for playing in this team is that the player is to have Māori whakapapa or genealogy. In the past this rule was not strictly applied. In the past non-Māori players who looked Māori were often...
– the national men's Māori team of New Zealand. Members of this team must have at least 1/16 Māori ancestry (one great-great-grandparent). - Under 19sNew Zealand national under-19 rugby union teamThe New Zealand Under 19's rugby team was a team for players aged under 19 as a platform to the All Blacks. The New Zealand Under 19's have joined forces with the New Zealand Under 21's to make the new team New Zealand Under 20's for the all new IRB Junior World Championship, which commenced in...
– an age graded side that has developed some of today's current All Blacks, sometimes referred to as the "Baby Blacks." - Under 20sNew Zealand national under-20 rugby union teamThe New Zealand under 20 rugby team are the newest representative rugby union team from New Zealand. They replace the two former age grade teams Under 19's and Under 21's. Their first tournament was the 2008 IRB Junior World Championship, which they won after defeating England 38–3 in the final....
– an age graded side created after the IRB folded its former under-19 and under-21 World Championships into an under-20 competition known as the IRB Junior World ChampionshipIRB Junior World ChampionshipThe IRB Junior World Championship is an international rugby union competition. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, the International Rugby Board , and is contested by 12 men's junior national teams , with an under-20 age requirement. The inaugural tournament was held in June 2008,...
. Currently the country's top age-grade side, and also sometimes referred to as the "Baby Blacks." - Under 21sNew Zealand national under-21 rugby union teamThe New Zealand Under 21's rugby union team is for players aged under 21 as a platform for the All Blacks. The New Zealand Under 21's have joined forces with the New Zealand Under 19's to make the new team New Zealand Under 20's for the all new IRB Junior World Championship...
– an age graded side that has developed some of today's current All Blacks, also sometimes referred to as the "Baby Blacks." - Heartland XVNew Zealand Heartland XVThe Heartland XV rugby team is one of several New Zealand national representative rugby union teams, although it is at a lower level than the All Blacks , the second-level Junior All Blacks and the New Zealand Māori...
– established in 1988 to expose players from Divisions Two and Three in the Air New Zealand NPC to rugby at a higher level. After the 2006 reorganisation of the NPC into the fully professional Air New Zealand Cup, now ITM Cup, and the nominally amateur Heartland ChampionshipHeartland ChampionshipThe Heartland Championship New Zealand Division One competition, known for sponsorship reasons as the AA Rewards Heartland Championship, is a domestic rugby union competition in New Zealand. It was founded in 2006 as one of two successor competitions to the country's former domestic competition,...
, the team now consists solely of players from the Heartland Championship. - NZ Schools – a development team of school players who move up to the Under 20s and ultimately the All Blacks.
Provincial Unions
The NZRU comprises seventeen North Island provincial unions and nine South Island provincial unions.North Island
The North Island provincial unions are:
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Horowhenua-Kapiti Rugby Football Union -Representative Rugby:The Horowhenua-Kapiti team play from Levin Domain, Levin and in the 2006 season are in Pool B of the Heartland Championship. They are seeded 6th qualifiers for the Championship as they were runner-ups in the 3rd division in 2005.... King Country Rugby Football Union The King Country Rugby Football Union is a constituent union in the New Zealand Rugby Union. It is located in the central North Island of New Zealand... Manawatu Rugby Union Manawatu Rugby Union is the governing body of the sport of Rugby union in the Manawatu rugby province. The Union is based in the city of Palmerston North but has a catchment area from nearby towns in the province, including Feilding, Rongotea, Linton, Bulls, Pahiatua, Dannevirke and... North Harbour Rugby Union The North Harbour Rugby Union , commonly referred to colloquially as North Harbour or simply Harbour, is a provincial rugby team which competes in the ITM Cup , the successor to the country's former domestic competition, the National Provincial Championship .-Area:Harbour Rugby encompasses a... Northland Rugby Union The Northland Rugby Football Union is the governing body of rugby union in the Northland region of New Zealand.-History:Rugby was first played in Northland in the 1870s, and the first union was set up in the province in 1895, known as the Marsden Football Union. The Northland union was founded in... |
Poverty Bay Rugby Football Union The Poverty Bay Rugby Football Union, which governs rugby union within the Gisborne region surrounding Poverty Bay in New Zealand, was formed in 1890.... Thames Valley Rugby Football Union The Thames Valley Rugby Football Union is the official governing body of rugby union in the region of Thames Valley in the North Island of New Zealand... Waikato Rugby Union The Waikato Rugby Union is the official governing body of rugby union in the Waikato area in the North Island of New Zealand. Its senior representative team competes in the ITM Cup , and won the inaugural Air New Zealand Cup in 2006.Waikato Rugby Union was founded in 1921... Wairarapa Bush Rugby Football Union The Wairarapa Bush Rugby Football Union was formed in 1971 with the amalgamation of the Wairarapa Rugby Football Union and Bush Rugby Football Union.... |
Wanganui Rugby Football Union The Wanganui Rugby Football Union is the governing body for rugby union in the Wanganui region of New Zealand. The Wanganui Rugby Football Union was formed in 1888.... Wellington Rugby Football Union The Wellington Rugby Football Union is the official governing body of rugby union in the city of Wellington, the capital of New Zealand... |
South Island
The South Island provincial unions are:
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South Canterbury Rugby Football Union The South Canterbury Rugby Football Union is a rugby province based in the central South Island city of Timaru, New Zealand. The South Canterbury team play from Alpine Energy Stadium located in Timaru.-History:... Southland Rugby The Southland Rugby Football Union is a provincial rugby union who govern the Southland Region founded in 1886. The headquarters of Southland Rugby are in Invercargill, New Zealand however the Southland Union also covers country teams such as Midlands of Winton and Excelsior Rugby Club of Gore.The... Tasman Rugby Union The Tasman Rugby Union is the governing body for rugby union at the top of the South Island in New Zealand. It is New Zealand's newest provincial union, founded in 2006 with the amalgamation of the existing Marlborough and Nelson Bays sub unions... West Coast Rugby Football Union The West Coast Rugby Football Union, formed in 1890, is the official governing body for rugby union in a substantial part of the West Coast region of New Zealand and is affiliated to the New Zealand Rugby Union. The team is based in Greymouth and plays home matches at Rugby Park.... |