New Zealand Rugby

The New Zealand Rugby Union Incorporated (NZRU) is the governing body of rugby union in New Zealand. It was founded in 1892 as the New Zealand Rugby Football Union (NZRFU), 12 years after the first provincial unions in New Zealand. In 1949 it became an affiliate to the International Rugby Football Board, now known as […]

CONFUSED about the difference between a Bati and Kumul? Not sure which is Mate Ma’a Tonga and which is Toa Samoa? Trying to keep track of all the City-Country withdrawals? The Jillaroos and the Kiwi Ferns played out an explosive three game series at the Auckland Nines. Picture Mark Evans. Shaun...

This sloppy, inaccurate display Friday - full of uncharacteristic errors - was far from a vintage All Blacks performance, however, and the defending champions are still to discover their fluency two weeks into the tournament. An almost full-strength New Zealand was expected to put away a weakened Georgia lineup with...

Before Europeans arrived in New Zealand, the Māori were playing a ball game called ki-o-rahi which greatly resembled Australian Rules Football and rugby football. It has been suggested that this may have influenced New Zealand playing styles, especially amongst the indigenous population. Various codes of football were played in New...

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The Maori All Blacks is a historic team representing the proud culture of New Zealand. In 1888 New Zealand Natives was one of the country’s maiden national rugby sides, playing Hawke's Bay in their first ever match on June 23, with the Natives winning 5-0. Later that year they...

Map of all provincial unions within New Zealand. Rugby union in New Zealand is structured into four tiers. The top tier is composed of the national representative teams, with the men's team – known as the All Blacks – at the top, followed by other representative sides such as the...

The All-Blacks are set to conquer America. Photo: Reuters When Mike Tolkin first started tossing a rugby ball around the New York City neighborhood where he grew up, most people struggled to even identify the sport in which he was taking his formative steps. Much has changed in 35 years....

New Zealand's rugby league side clearly enjoyed their training session at Liverpool's Melwood training ground this week, saying thank you with an impromptu haka in the canteen. Saturday's sold-out decider brings a lot of pressure on New Zealand, who are looking to claim the Baskerville Sheild from the Lions for...

New Zealand's national team and highest level of rugby representation achievable in the country, the All Blacks are the most successful international rugby side of all-time. With a winning percentage of 76.4 over 526 Tests (1903-2014) they are noted as one of the most prolific teams across any sport. The...