The All Blacks represent New Zealand in rugby union, which is regarded as the country's national sport. They won the inaugural Rugby World Cup, are the leading points scorers of all time and the only international rugby team with a winning record against every test nation they have ever played. They have the highest win ratio of 75 percent and have held the top ranking in the world for the most period of time in IRB World Rankings. Only 5 of the top 20 ranked rugby union test nations have ever beaten New Zealand in over 100 years of international competition.

The All Blacks compete annually with the Wallabies (Australia) and the Springboks (South Africa) in the Tri-Nations Series, and are currently champions for the tenth time in the tournament's 15-year history. They are the current holders of the Bledisloe Cup, competed annually for with Australia, the Freedom Cup, competed annually for with South Africa and have completed a Grand Slam a record four times (in 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010), defeating all four Home Nations during one tour.

The number one ranked team in the IRB World Rankings, they were named the International Rugby Board (IRB) Team of the Year in 2005, 2006, 2008 and a record fourth time in 2010. Their captain, Richie McCaw is the International Rugby Board Player of the Year for a record third time and fifteen former All Blacks have been inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame, one into the IRB Hall of Fame.

The team first competed in 1884 against Cumberland County, New South Wales, and played their first Test match in 1903, a victory against Australia. This was followed by a tour of the northern hemisphere in 1905.

The team's early uniforms consisted of a black jersey with a silver fern and white knickerbockers. By their 1905 tour New Zealand were wearing all black, except for the silver fern, and their All Black name dates from this time. New Zealand traditionally perform a haka (Māori challenge) before each match. Traditionally, the haka performed is Te Rauparaha's Ka Mate, though since 2005, Kapa o Pango, a modified version of the 1924 All Blacks haka, Kia Whaka-ngawari, has occasionally been performed.

History

Introduction of rugby to New Zealand

Rugby Football was introduced to New Zealand by Charles Monro in the late 1860s; Monro discovered the sport while completing his studies at Christ's College, Finchley, England. The first recorded game in New Zealand took place in May 1870 in Nelson between the Nelson club and Nelson College. The first union, Canterbury, was formed in 1879. In 1882, New Zealand's first internationals were played when the Southern Rugby Union (later the New South Wales Rugby Union) toured the country. The tourists played Auckland provincial clubs twice, Wellington twice and once each against Canterbury, Otago and West Coast, North Island, winning four games and losing three. Two years later the first New Zealand team to go overseas toured New South Wales; New Zealand played and won eight games.

The first tour by a British team took place in 1888 when a British Isles team toured Australia and New Zealand, but no Test matches were played. The players were drawn mainly from England and the Scottish Borders, although there were representatives from all four home unions.

International competition begins

, 1905]] The year 1892 saw the formation of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union representing seven unions not including Canterbury, Otago and Southland. The first sanctioned New Zealand side toured New South Wales in 1894 and the following year New Zealand played its first home "international" game, losing 8-6 to New South Wales. The team's first true international Test match was against Australia on 15 August 1903 at the Sydney Cricket Ground, resulting in a 22-3 win.

A representative New Zealand team, since referred to as the Originals, first toured Britain in 1905. Reference to the team by the name "All Blacks" first appeared during this tour when, according to team member Billy Wallace, a London newspaper reported that the New Zealanders played as if they were "all backs". Wallace claimed that because of a typographical error, subsequent references were to "All Blacks". This may be a myth, as the name also describes their playing uniform of black shirts, shorts and socks. The match has entered into the folklore of both countries because of controversy over whether All Black Bob Deans scored a disallowed try, which would have earned them a 3-3 draw. A team representing the British Isles — known as the Anglo-Welsh since it consisted of English and Welsh players only — undertook a return tour to New Zealand in 1908 and were defeated 2-0 in the test series by New Zealand.

Development of a legacy

New Zealand's rivalry with South Africa began in 1921, when the Springboks (as the South African team is known) toured New Zealand for a Test series that finished all square. New Zealand toured South Africa for the first time in 1928; this series also ended in a draw.

The 1924 All Black tourists to the United Kingdom (UK) were dubbed the Invincibles because they had won every game. However, the team were deprived of the chance to complete a grand slam when Scotland refused to play them because of an argument over expenses. The first truly representative British Isles (now known as British and Irish Lions) side toured New Zealand in 1930. Although the Lions won the first Test, the home side regrouped and went on to win the series 3-1. New Zealand toured the UK again in 1935–36, losing only three games (including two Tests) during a 30-match tour. In one of these losses, Prince Obolensky famously scored two tries to help England to a 13-0 win, their first over New Zealand.

In 1937, South Africa won a series against New Zealand when they toured New Zealand, and this 1937 South African team has been described as the best team ever to leave New Zealand. It wasn't until 1949, after the end of the Second World War, that New Zealand next played the Springboks when they visited South Africa with Fred Allen as captain. The tour witnessed an infamous All Blacks record — the loss of two Test matches on the same day. This was made possible because Australia were touring New Zealand at the same time. On the afternoon of 3 September New Zealand captained by J. B. (Johnny) Smith was beaten 11-6 by Australia in Wellington. That same afternoon in South Africa New Zealand captained by Ron Elvidge (Allen was injured) lost 9-3 to the Springboks in Durban. New Zealand in New Zealand also lost their second Test, 16-9, which gave Australia the Bledisloe Cup for the first time. Although each Test was very close, New Zealand lost the series 4-0.

The two series losses to South Africa made their 1956 tour of New Zealand highly anticipated. New Zealand were captained by Bob Duff and coached by Bob Stuart, and their 3-1 series win was their first ever over the Springboks as well as being the Springboks' first ever series loss against any opponent. During the series, New Zealand had introduced Don Clarke and brought back Kevin Skinner in the last two Tests to help secure the win.

New Zealand's 3-1 series win over the Lions in 1959 proved to be the start of a dominant period in All Black rugby. This was followed by the 1963–64 tour to the UK, led by Wilson Whineray, in which New Zealand were deprived of a Grand Slam by a scoreless draw with Scotland. The only loss on this tour was to Newport RFC who defeated New Zealand 3–0 at Rodney Parade, Newport on 30 October 1963. The 1967 side won three Tests, but was unable to play Ireland because of a foot-and-mouth scare. This was also the longest Test winning streak by any nation at the time; it would be equalled by the Springboks from 1997 to 1998 and surpassed by Lithuania in 2010. Although the 1966 Lions were defeated 0-4 in their New Zealand tour, there was a reversal of fortune five years later when the 1971 Lions, under the captaincy of Welshman John Dawes, beat New Zealand in a Test series, which remains the Lions' only series victory in New Zealand.

The 1972–3 tourists narrowly missed a Grand Slam with a draw against Ireland.

In 1978, Graham Mourie captained New Zealand to their first Grand Slam, completed with a 13-12 victory over Wales. That game generated great controversy after New Zealand won as the result of a late penalty. Lock Andy Haden had dived out of a line-out in an attempt to earn a penalty, but the penalty awarded by referee Roger Quittenton was against Welsh lock Geoff Wheel for jumping off the shoulder of Frank Oliver. New Zealand' only loss on the tour was the famous 12-0 defeat by Irish province Munster at Thomond Park. Later a play which focused on the loss was written by the John Breen called Alone it Stands.

Controversial tours

The 1976 All Blacks tour of South Africa generated much controversy and led to the boycott of the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal by 33 African nations after the IOC refused to ban the team. New Zealand again failed to win the Test series in South Africa — they did not do so until 1996, after the fall of apartheid. The 1976 Tour contributed to the Gleneagles Agreement being adopted by the Commonwealth Heads of State in 1977.

The 1981 South African tour to New Zealand sparked protests against South Africa's apartheid policy the likes of which had not been seen in New Zealand since the 1951 waterfront dispute. The NZRU had invited the Springboks to tour as the Muldoon government refused to involve politics in sport. Although New Zealand won the Test series, two of the tour's provincial games were cancelled and the whole tour was marred by violence and protest. During the tour the country experienced unrest, and the tour had a significant impact on New Zealand society.

The 1985 All Blacks tour to South Africa was cancelled after legal action argued it would breach the NZRU's constitution. Those that participated in the tour received a ban for two tests from the NZRU when they returned to New Zealand, before returning to play for New Zealand, becoming a core part of the national team that triumphed against France in the 1987 World Cup.

Early World Cups

The inaugural World Cup in 1987 was co-hosted and won by New Zealand, who beat France 29–9 in the 1987 Rugby World Cup Final at Eden Park, Auckland. New Zealand conceded only 52 points and scored 43 tries in six games en route to the title, having swept aside the challenges of Italy, Fiji, Argentina, Scotland, Wales and France. By the 1991 World Cup New Zealand were an ageing side, co-coached by Alex Wyllie and John Hart. They struggled during pool matches against the United States and Italy, but won their quarter-final against Canada. They were then knocked out by eventual winners Australia 16–6 in their semi-final at Lansdowne Road. In the wake of the tournament, there were many retirements, including coach Wyllie, who had enjoyed an 86% win rate during 29 Tests in charge.

Laurie Mains replaced Wyllie in 1992, and was given the job of preparing the side for the 1995 event in South Africa. New Zealand were again favourites to take the championship. Their role as favourites was confirmed when a young Jonah Lomu scored four tries against England in New Zealand's 45-29 semi-final win. However, the New Zealand team suffered an outbreak of food poisoning before the 1995 Rugby World Cup Final (the source of the poisoning is heavily debated). Despite this, they took hosts South Africa to extra time, before losing to Joel Stransky's drop goal. The allegation of food poisoning was later publicly backed by Rory Steyn, a former head of security for South African president Nelson Mandela. He was the security liaison for the All Blacks and reported in a book that a Far Eastern gambling syndicate was responsible for the outbreak by bribing a waitress.

Professional era

The professional era in rugby union began in 1995, marked by creation of the SANZAR group (a combination of South Africa, New Zealand and Australia) which was formed with the purpose of selling TV rights for two new competitions, the domestic Super 12 competition and the Tri-Nations.

The 1996 Tri-Nations match in South Africa between New Zealand and Springboks was the first in a historic series. Under new coach John Hart and the captaincy of Sean Fitzpatrick, New Zealand won a Test series in South Africa for the first time. Fitzpatrick rated the series win higher than the 1987 World Cup victory in which he had participated. However in 1998 New Zealand lost all five Tests in the Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup series (two to South Africa and three to Australia), the first time they had lost four Tests in succession since 1949. The following year they suffered their worst Test loss, 28-7 to Australia in Sydney.

New Zealand rebounded in the 1999 World Cup and dominated their pool, handing England a 30-16 defeat at Twickenham. They advanced past Scotland 30-18 in the quarter-finals to play France at Twickenham. They finished the first half ahead 17-10. They defeated South Africa, a team they had never beaten at the World Cup, 29-9, but lost to Australia 22-10 in the semi-final in Sydney. Afterwards, Mitchell was fired by the NZRU and replaced by Graham Henry.

Henry's tenure began with a double victory over reigning World Champions England in 2004. The two games had an aggregate score of 72-15, with New Zealand keeping England try-less. Despite the winning start to Henry's tenure, the Tri-Nations was a mixed success with two wins and two losses. The competition was the closest ever, bonus points decided the outcome and New Zealand finished last. The 2004 season finished on a high, with New Zealand winning in Europe, including a record 45-6 victory over France.

in 2006.]]

In 2005 New Zealand whitewashed the touring British and Irish Lions 3-0 in the Test series, won the Tri-Nations, and achieved a second Grand Slam over the Home Nations. They went on to sweep the major International Rugby Board year-end awards in which New Zealand were named Team of the Year, Henry was named Coach of the Year, and fly-half (first five) Daniel Carter was Player of the Year.

In 2006 they again took the Tri Nations Series by winning their first five matches, three against Australia and two against South Africa. They lost their final match of the series against South Africa. They completed their end of year tour unbeaten, with record away wins over France, England and Wales. New Zealand were named 2006 IRB Team of the Year and were nominated for the Laureus World Sports Award for the second time, while flanker Richie McCaw was named IRB Player of the Year.

The 2007 season started off with two mid-year Tests against France. New Zealand won the Tests 42-11 at Eden Park and 61-10 at Westpac Stadium. A third game between Canada and New Zealand resulted in a 64-13 scoreline, although the game was more competitive than the scoreline indicated.

New Zealand' first Tri-Nations game of 2007 was against the Springboks in Durban, South Africa. New Zealand scored two tries in the final ten minutes of the game to win 26-21. The following week against the Wallabies at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne the Wallabies upset New Zealand to win 20-15, New Zealand' first loss to Australia since 2004. New Zealand won both following home games to successfully defend the Tri-Nations Series for 2007.

New Zealand entered the 2007 Rugby World Cup as favourites, and trumped their pool beating all their challengers, Scotland, Italy, Romania and Portugal by 40 points or more. However, they then suffered a defeat to hosts France in the first knockout game, the quarterfinals. Following the loss to France coach Graham Henry's job was on the line with then Canterbury Crusaders coach Robbie Deans a likely contender as the next All Blacks coach, but Graham Henry managed to keep his job. Robbie Deans then accepted a position as coach of the Wallabies.

The 2008 season started with three mid-year Tests, the first against Ireland at Westpac Stadium, Wellington, New Zealand. The final two games were against England, the first game at Eden Park and the second at AMI Stadium in Christchurch. New Zealand played their first Tri-Nations game against South Africa at Westpac Stadium in Wellington winning 19-8 but a week later at Carisbrook in Dunedin they lost to South Africa 28-30, ending a 30-match winning streak at home, their previous loss in New Zealand being against England in 2003. New Zealand played their next Tri-Nations match on 26 July against Australia at Stadium Australia in Sydney, losing 34-19 but a week later against Australia at Eden Park New Zealand won 39-10. The greatest victory for New Zealand in the 2008 season was beating South Africa 19-0 on their home ground, Newlands Stadium. New Zealand played their final match on 13 September against Australia at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane winning 28-24 and retaining the Bledisloe Cup and the Tri Nations.

The All Blacks opened the 2009 season on June 13 with a 22-27 loss to France at Carisbrook,but beat France 14-10 at Westpac Stadium a week later. On points difference, France won the Dave Gallaher Cup for the first time in the nine years the two teams had competed for it. A week later the All Blacks defeated Italy 27-6 at AMI Stadium. They finished second in the Tri-Nations Series, behind South Africa who lost only one game, and ended the series with a 33-6 win over Australia in Wellington.

In 2010 the All Blacks won the Tri Nations series for the tenth time after three successive victories against the Springboks, also retaining the Bledisloe Cup after consecutive victories against the Wallabies. During 2010 the All Blacks were undefeated for 15 test matches, three wins from equalling the record of 18 consecutive wins by Lithuania.

Jersey

The current All Blacks jersey is entirely black, with the Adidas logo and the NZRU silver fern on the front. The 1884 New Zealand tour to Australia was the first overseas New Zealand rugby tour, and featured clothing far different from today's jersey. Back then, the team donned a dark blue jersey, with gold fern on the left of the jumper. In 1893 the NZRU stipulated at its annual general meeting that the uniform would be black jersey with a silver fern and white knickerbockers. However historic photographs suggest white shorts may have been used instead during these early years. Sometime between 1897 and 1901 there was a change; by 1901 the team met NSW in a black jersey, a canvas top with no collar, and a silver fern.

New Zealand jersey is today considered the most recognisable rugby jersey. Recently it has become traditional for New Zealand to wear an embroidered poppy on their jersey sleeve when playing France during the end of year tours. The poppy honours the soldiers who died in the battlefields of Europe. Captain Richie McCaw said "We want to honour the overseas service of New Zealanders. It is an important part of our history as a country and a team."

Adidas currently pays the NZRFU $200 Million over 9 years, expecting New Zealand to win around 75% of their matches. Nike also looked at sponsoring New Zealand in 1996, but went with Tiger Woods instead.

The change kit has traditionally been white with black shorts. After a few years playing with a change kit consisting of a grey shirt and black shorts, the team announced a return to the traditional change kit of white jersey and black shorts in May 2009.

Haka

in November 2006.]] The All Blacks perform a haka (Māori challenge) before each international match. The haka has been closely associated with New Zealand rugby ever since a tour of New South Wales in 1884. The New Zealand native team that toured Britain in 1889/89 used Ake Ake Kia Kaha and the 1903 team in Australia used a mocking haka, Tupoto koe, Kangaru!. The 1905 All Blacks began the tradition of using Ka Mate and by 1914 this was firmly established as part of New Zealand rugby. The 1924 All Blacks used a specially composed haka Kia Whaka-ngawari, but later All Blacks reverted back to Ka Mate.

In August 2005, before the Tri-Nations Test match between New Zealand and South Africa at Carisbrook stadium in Dunedin, New Zealand performed a new haka, Kapa o Pango, specially composed by Derek Lardelli and "...designed to reflect the multi-cultural make-up of contemporary New Zealand — in particular the influence of Polynesian cultures". Kapa o Pango was to be performed on special occasions and was not intended to replace Ka Mate. However, according to Derek Lardelli, the gesture represents "drawing vital energy into the heart and lungs."

In November 2006, at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, New Zealand performed the haka in the dressing room prior to the match — instead of on the field immediately before kick-off — after a disagreement with the Welsh Rugby Union, which had wanted Wales to sing their national anthem after the haka.

In 2008, New Zealand played Munster at Thomond Park. Before the match, Munster's four New Zealanders challenged New Zealand by performing a haka before the All Blacks started theirs. On the same tour, Wales responded by silently refusing to move after New Zealand's haka, and the two teams simply stared at each other until the referee forced them to start the game.

Record

Tri-Nations

New Zealand's only annual tournament is the Tri-Nations played against Australia and South Africa. New Zealand's record of ten tournament wins (the most recent in 2010) and 48 match wins is well ahead of the other teams' records. The Bledisloe Cup is also contested between New Zealand and Australia, and the Freedom Cup between New Zealand and South Africa, as part of the Tri-Nations.

World Cup

New Zealand have won the World Cup once in the 1987 inaugural competition held in New Zealand and Australia. In 1991, they lost their semi-final to Australia before winning the playoff for third. In 1995, they improved by reaching the final, before losing in extra time to hosts South Africa. They finished in fourth place in 1999, after losing their semi-final and then the third-place playoff game. In 2003, New Zealand were knocked out by hosts Australia in their semi-final, before finishing third. The 2007 World Cup saw their worst tournament, being knocked out in the quarterfinals by the host nation France; until this they were the only team to have reached the semifinals of every tournament. As a result of the poor performance in the 2007 World Cup the New Zealand Rugby Union commissioned a 47 page report to detail the causes of the failure.

New Zealand hold several World Cup records: most points in one match (145 versus Japan in 1995), most cumulative points over all World Cups (1,711), most tries overall (232), most appearances held by Sean Fitzpatrick (17 from 1987 to 1995), Marc Ellis with most tries in a match (6 versus Japan in 1995), Grant Fox with most points in one tournament (126 in 1987), and Simon Culhane with most points in a single game (45 versus Japan in 1995).

In the decade from 2000–2009, New Zealand won 100 Tests (82% winning percentage). They won 15 consecutive Tests at one point and recorded a world record 30 straight wins at home.

Their all-time points difference for Tests (and international level matches) stands at 12,112 to 5,978 (as at 28th November 2010). Many national teams' worst defeat was against New Zealand — the national teams of France, Ireland, Argentina, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Japan, and Portugal all suffered a record loss to New Zealand. Only five of the top twenty test rugby nations have ever beaten New Zealand; even traditional home nations Ireland and Scotland have never beaten the All Blacks.

Their Test match record against all nations (listed alphabetically), updated to 28 November 2010, is as follows: {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! width=200 | Opponent ! width=70 | Played ! width=70 | Won ! width=70 | Lost ! width=70 | Drawn ! width=70 | % Won |- | || 13 || 12 || 0 || 1 || 92.3% |- | || 140 || 95 || 40 || 5 || 68.4% |- | || 38 || 29 || 6 || 3 || 76.3% |- | || 4 || 4 || 0 || 0 || 100% |- | || 34 || 27 || 6 || 1 || 79.4% |- | || 4 || 4 || 0 || 0 || 100% |- | || 49 || 36 || 12 || 1 || 73.5% |- | || 24 || 23 || 0 || 1 || 95.8% |- | || 11 || 11 || 0 || 0 || 100% |- | || 1 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 100% |- | || 1 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 100% |- | || 1 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 100% |- | || 2 || 2 || 0 || 0 || 100% |- | || 5 || 5 || 0 || 0 || 100% |- | || 28 || 26 || 0 || 2 || 92.9% |- | || 81 || 45 || 33 || 3 || 55.6% |- | || 3 || 3 || 0 || 0 || 100% |- | || 2 || 2 || 0 || 0 || 100% |- | || 28 || 25 || 3 || 0 || 88.9% |- | || 3 || 2 || 1 || 0 || 66.7% |- class="sortbottom" ! Total !! 472 !! 354 !! 101 !! 17 !! 75.00% |}

Players

Current squad

A 30-man squad was named on 17 October 2010 for the tour of Hong Kong, UK and Ireland. Sitiveni Sivivatu was ruled out of the tour with a knee injury. Ben Franks was forced to return to New Zealand after suffering an injury, he was replaced by Tialata.

Caps updated before the tour.

Head Coach: Graham Henry

Notable players

and International Rugby Hall of Fame inductee Dave Gallaher.]] Fifteen former All Blacks have been inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame; Fred Allen, Don Clarke, Sean Fitzpatrick, Grant Fox, Dave Gallaher, Michael Jones, Ian Kirkpatrick, John Kirwan, Sir Brian Lochore, Jonah Lomu, Colin Meads, Graham Mourie, George Nepia and Wilson Whineray. One of them, Whineray, has been inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame.

Dave Gallaher played in New Zealand' first ever Test match in 1903 and also captained the 1905 Originals. Along with Billy Stead, Gallaher authored the famous rugby book The Complete Rugby Footballer. At the age of only 19, George Nepia played in all 30 matches on the Invincibles tour of 1924–25. Nepia played 37 All Blacks games; his last was against the British Isles in 1930. He eventually moved onto coaching New Zealand between 1966 and 1968. New Zealand won all 14 of their Test matches with Allen as coach. Clarke famously scored six penalties in one match — a record at the time — to give New Zealand an 18-17 victory over the British Isles at Dunedin in 1959. Sir Wilson Whineray played 32 Tests, captaining New Zealand in 30 of them. He played prop and also number 8 between 1957 and 1965. New Zealand lost only four of their 30 Tests with Whineray as captain. Meads, nicknamed Pinetree, played 133 games for New Zealand, including 55 Tests. He scored 16 tries in his Test career, a record at the time.

The 1987 World Cup champions were coached by Sir Brian Lochore who had represented New Zealand in 25 Tests between 1964 and 1971, including 17 as captain. Lochore was knighted in 1999 for his lifetime services to rugby. Four of the 1987 World Cup squad that he had coached are also inductees in the Hall of Fame. John Kirwan played a total of 63 Tests between 1984 and 1994, scoring 35 tries, an All Blacks record at the time. In the 1987 World Cup opener against Italy, Kirwan raced 90 meters to score one of the tries of the tournament. An All Black from 1984 to 1993, Grant Fox was one of New Zealand' greatest point-scorers with 1067 points, including 645 Test points. Fox played 46 Tests, including the 1987 World Cup final against France. Known as The Iceman, Michael Jones was one of the greatest open side flankers of all time. Born in Auckland, New Zealand, Jones first played international rugby for Samoa, then for New Zealand, playing 55 Tests between 1987 and 1998.

The most capped Test All Black was Sean Fitzpatrick with 92 appearances. Fitzpatrick played in the 1987 World Cup after an injury to incumbent Andy Dalton and was appointed All Blacks captain in 1992, continuing in the role until his retirement in 1997. Sean Fitzpatrick's record has since been eclipsed by Mils Muliaina and Richie McCaw, when they won their 93rd caps against Ireland on November 20th, 2010.

Jonah Lomu is generally regarded as the first true global superstar of rugby union. He was the youngest player ever to appear in a Test as an All Black, making his debut at age 19 years, 45 days in 1994. Lomu, a , had unique physical gifts; even though he stood 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) and weighed 119 kg (262 lb), making him both the tallest and heaviest back ever to play for New Zealand, he could run 100 metres in under 11 seconds. He burst on the international scene in the 1995 Rugby World Cup, scoring seven tries in the competition. Four of those tries came in New Zealand' semifinal win over England, including an iconic try in which he bulldozed England's Mike Catt on his way to the try line. He would add eight more tries in the 1999 Rugby World Cup. Perhaps most remarkably, Lomu played virtually his entire top-level career in the shadow of a serious kidney disorder which ended his Test career in 2002 and ultimately led to a transplant in 2004. Even with his career hampered and eventually shortened by his health issues, he scored 37 tries in 63 Tests.

Individual records

The record for most All Black Test points is held by Dan Carter with 1,188 from 79 Tests, who surpassed Andrew Mehrtens' total of 967 points from 70 Tests in the All Blacks' win over England on 21 November 2009. Carter also holds the record for points against Australia with 236. And also the record for the most test points in test rugby history.

The All Blacks' record Test try scorer is Doug Howlett with 49 tries, who overtook Christian Cullen's 46 during the 2007 World Cup. The world record for tries in a calendar year is held by Josevata Rokocoko, with 17 tries in 2003; he also became the first All Black to score ten tries in his first five Tests, as well as the first All Black to score at least two tries in each of four consecutive Tests. In Test matches, the most capped All Blacks are Richie McCaw and Mils Muliaina with 93 each. The record for most Tests as captain is held by Sean Fitzpatrick with 51.

Coaches

Due to the definition and role of All Blacks coach varying so much prior to the 1949 All Blacks tour of South Africa, the following table only includes coaches appointed since. | 2002–2003 | 28 | 23 | 1 | 4 | 82.1% |- | Graham Henry | 2004– | 91 | 78 | 0 | 13 | 85.7% |}

Home grounds

Like the other two countries in the Tri Nations, New Zealand does not have an official stadium for its national team. Instead, New Zealand play their Test matches at a variety of venues throughout New Zealand. In 2005 and 2006 New Zealand played matches at: Eden Park, Auckland; North Harbour Stadium, North Shore City; Westpac Stadium, Wellington; AMI Stadium (formerly called Lancaster Park and Jade Stadium), Christchurch; Waikato Stadium, Hamilton; and Carisbrook, Dunedin.

Prior to the construction of Westpac Stadium in 1999, Wellington's Test venue was Athletic Park. Athletic Park was the venue for the first All Blacks Test match in New Zealand against Great Britain in 1904. The first home Test match played outside the main centres of Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin or Wellington was in 1996 at McLean Park in Napier. The 1987 Rugby World Cup final was played at Eden Park.

Eden Park and AMI Stadium are being upgraded in preparation for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. In 2006, the Government of New Zealand proposed the construction of a waterfront National Stadium in Auckland as an alternative to Eden Park's upgrade; this proposal was rejected by the Auckland Regional Council. The NZRU no longer considers Carisbrook as a suitable Test venue (it did however get a Test Match against South Africa in 2008 and had one against Wales in 2010); a covered sports stadium was proposed as a replacement. Dunedin City Council approved the new stadium in March 2008, land acquisition proceeded from August to October of that year, and the new venue is scheduled to open in August 2011, in time for the World Cup.

Venues of All Black Tests in New Zealand

North Island

Athletic Park and Westpac Stadium, Wellington

Potter's Park, Eden Park and Epsom Showgrounds Auckland

McLean Park, Napier

North Harbour Stadium, North Shore City

Rugby Park and Waikato Stadium, Hamilton

Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth

South Island

Tahuna Park and Carisbrook, Dunedin

* Future Dunedin Test venue: Forsyth Barr Stadium at University Plaza

AMI Stadium, Christchurch (Formerly Lancaster Park and Jade Stadium)

See also

v Argentina

v Australia

v British and Irish Lions

v England

v France

v Ireland

v Munster

v Italy

v Scotland

v South Africa

v Wales

List of New Zealand rugby union Test matches

Notes and references

Bibliography

External links

All Blacks official website

Footage of All Blacks game in Brockton Oval in Stanley Park, Vancouver, ca 1934, City of Vancouver Archives

Category:New Zealand national rugby union team Category:National sports teams of New Zealand Category:Oceanian national rugby union teams

Name	Jonah Lomu
Birthname	Jonah Tali Lomu
Nickname	Big man, Burger
Dateofbirth	May 12, 1975
Placeofbirth	Auckland, New Zealand
Height
Weight
Ru position
Allblackid	506
Allblackno	941
Ru nationalteam	New Zealand
Ru nationalyears	1994–2002
Ru nationalcaps	63
Ru nationalpoints	(185)
Ru ntupdate	March 7, 2008
Ru clubyears	2009 –
Ru proclubs	Marseille
Ru clubcaps	3
Ru clubpoints	(0)
Super14	HurricanesChiefsBlues
Super14years	2000–0319991996–98
Super14caps	29822
Super14points	(55)(10)(65)
Super14update	9 September 2006
Ru province	Wellington Cardiff
Ru provinceyears	20062000–031994–99 2005–2006
Ru provincecaps	3212810
Ru provincepoints	(0)(65)(95) (5)
Ru provinceupdate	9 September 2006
Ru sevensnationalyears	1994–2001
Ru sevensnationalteam	New Zealand
Other	yes
Relatives	Andrew Lomu, John Tamanika, Seti Kiole

Jonah Tali Lomu, MNZM (born 12 May 1975) is a New Zealand rugby union player. He had sixty-three caps as an All Black after debuting in 1994. He is generally regarded as the first true global superstar of rugby union. One of the sport's most intimidating players on the field, he has had a huge impact on the game. He was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame on 9 October 2007.

Lomu burst onto the international rugby scene during the 1994 Hong Kong Sevens tournament and was widely acknowledged to be the top player at the 1995 World Cup in South Africa even though New Zealand lost the championship game to the host Springboks. At one time Lomu was considered 'rugby union's biggest drawcard', swelling attendances at any match where he appeared. He has played for several provincial teams, in the Super Rugby and NPC competitions. These included the Blues, Chiefs and Hurricanes, and Counties Manukau, Wellington and later North Harbour. He made a comeback after undergoing a kidney transplant in 2004. In 1996 he married South African Tanya Rutter; they officially divorced in 2000. He married Fiona Taylor in 2003 and divorced her in 2008. He is officially the Rugby World Cup all-time top try scorer with 15 tries.

He is the cousin of National Rugby League players Andrew Lomu and John Tamanika.

Early career

Lomu represented New Zealand in the national under-19 side in 1993, as well as the under-21 side the following year. He first came to international attention at the 1994 Hong Kong Sevens tournament, as part of a fearsome team including Eric Rush and Christian Cullen.

At the age of 19 years and 45 days, Lomu became the youngest All Black test player as he debuted on the wing against France in 1994, breaking a record that had been held by Edgar Wrigley since 1905. After the game, Will Carling said: "He is a freak and the sooner he goes away the better". Lomu's attacking prowess can be attributed in part to pure power; when near the tryline he often ran his 120 kg frame straight into or over any defenders who had the misfortune to get in his way (a move informally known as the 'Maori sidestep'). However most of his famous tries were ignited by electric pace (as a schoolboy he ran the 100m in 10.8s) as he stepped "in-and-out" on his opposites and ran around them, then used his powerful fends on the cover defence.

Following the win over England, the All Blacks entered what would become an epic World Cup final match at Ellis Park against South Africa (the Springboks), but despite his efforts, Lomu could not score a try against the South African side. During this game he was famously tackled near the try-line by Joost van der Westhuizen. The game went to the hosts, who scored a drop-goal in extra time to defeat the All Blacks 15–12. Lomu had scored tries against every major test playing nation in World Rugby except South Africa.

In interviews after 2003, Lomu revealed that he was already suffering from the effects of nephrotic syndrome during the 1995 World Cup. As a consequence of this serious and chronic kidney illness he was completely drained and often bedridden for entire days in between Cup games. It was agreed with the All Blacks doctor John Mayhew that his illness, at that time undiagnosed, would be kept secret and it stayed that way for most of his career.

In a Clint Eastwood movie Invictus (2009), which is about Nelson Mandela and South African rugby team in 1995 World Cup, Lomu is portrayed by Isaac Feau'nati and is referred to in reverent tones.

1996–1998

In the first match after the World Cup loss to South Africa, the All Blacks took on Australia at home at Eden Park. Lomu scored New Zealand's only try in the match, which they won 28–16. In the return match, held at the Sydney Football Stadium to decide the Bledisloe Cup, the All Blacks won 34–23 despite trailing at half-time, with Lomu scoring a try. Lomu's scoring for New Zealand continued later that year when he scored two tries in the All Blacks victory over Italy in Bologna. Lomu also played against the French Barbarians in November in Toulon, as well as two matches against French selections. Lomu played in the first Test against France in Toulouse, which was won through penalty goals. In a subsequent match against a French selection, Lomu scored two tries. He scored a try in the second and final test against France in Paris. }}

Prior to the start of the first Tri Nations Series, Lomu played for the All Blacks in matches against Samoa and Scotland, scoring in the Scottish match. The All Blacks also hosted Australia in Wellington; defeating the Wallabies 43–6, with Lomu getting three of the tries. The 1996 Tri Nations was the first of its kind, and launched with the advent of professionalism in rugby. A close victory over South Africa in Christchurch was followed by a 32–25 win over the Wallabies, in which Lomu scored. The wins ensured the All Blacks became the first ever Tri Nations champions. Lomu played three other matches for the All Blacks following the Tri Nations that year; against Currie Cup sides in South Africa: Eastern Province, Western Transvaal and Griqualand West.

At the end of 1996, he was diagnosed with a rare and serious kidney disorder, which saw him take time off from the sport. As such he did not play in the 1997 Tri Nations Series, but was included in the All Blacks tour of the northern hemisphere at the end of the year. Lomu played in the two warm up matches, scoring tries against Wales 'A' and Emerging England. He played the first test against England at Old Trafford, as well as the test against Wales at Wembley Stadium, and the second match against England— he did not score in any of the three games.

At the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, he won a gold medal representing New Zealand in the Sevens Rugby event. The English rugby team came to New Zealand the following year for a two test series. Lomu played in both of the matches, scoring in the first, which was a 64–22 win in Dunedin, but not in the second test won 40–10 by the All Blacks. The 1998 Tri Nations Series contributed to one of the All Blacks worst ever seasons, as they lost all four games and finished at the bottom of the table.

1999 and the World Cup

Lomu's 1999 international season kicked off with a warm-up match against New Zealand A, which was followed by a game against Samoa in which Lomu scored one of the All Blacks' nine tries. Lomu came on late in the first game of the 1999 Tri Nations Series, which was a 28–0 win over South Africa, and at one point took eight men to bring him down. He again started from the bench in the subsequent game against Australia which the All Blacks also won. Lomu started from the bench in the following match against the Springboks in Pretoria, though he came in early in the 34–18 win. He was introduced at near half-time in the final Tri Nations game against Australia in Sydney, though the game was characterised by New Zealand errors, and Australia won the rainy affair, in front of 107,042 supporters. Despite the loss, the All Blacks were crowned Tri Nations champions.

He scored eight tries at the 1999 World Cup. In New Zealand's first pool match of the tournament against Tonga he scored two tries, scoring again in one of his finest matches in pool play against England. Lomu scored his second double of the tournament in the third and final pool match against Italy. The All Blacks, finishing atop of their pool, proceeded to the quarter-finals, where they defeated Scotland, where Lomu scored one of New Zealand's four tries. Lomu scored twice in the semi-final match against France, though it was not enough to see them through to the final, as France went on to win 43–31. Through his career, Lomu has scored eight tries against England — more than any other All Black. Lomu also holds an unbeaten record of 15 tries in World Cup tournaments. Following the World Cup, there was speculation that Lomu would be moving to play American Football in the National Football League, or continue to play rugby in the English Premiership. None of the speculation materialised and Lomu stayed in New Zealand.

2000–2003

After playing in the 100+ victory over Tonga, Lomu and Tana Umaga scored five tries between them in the subsequent match against Scotland. One of Lomu's tries was a characteristic bulldozing effort down the wing, leaving Scottish defenders in his wake. In the opening match of the 2000 Tri Nations Series, the All Blacks raced out to a 21 to nil lead, which had the potential to be 28, had George Gregan not stopped Lomu from scoring one of his own. Australia amazingly fought back, and with minutes remaining, both sides had scored five tries each. The world record rugby crowd of 109,874 was treated to the highest scoring match ever between the two sides. With just minutes remaining, the Wallabies led 35 to 34; until Lomu "brushed past a desperate Stephen Larkham to tip-toe down the line and score the winning try".

The match was followed by a victory over South Africa, and then a re-match of the thrilling Bledisloe Cup game, which Australia won by just a single point, 24 to 23. A barn-storming Lomu was stopped short of the line early in the second half in the final match against South Africa. The Springboks eventually won, 46 to 40. The All Blacks finished second on the table, with Australia winning the Tri Nations. Lomu played in one other test that year; against France at Stade de France in November, which the All Blacks won 39 to 26.

Lomu also led the New Zealand Sevens team to victory at the 2001 Sevens World Cup, filling in for Rush, who suffered a broken leg during the competition. In the lead up to the 2001 Tri Nations Series, the All Blacks played Argentina and France at home, Lomu scoring a try in the French match. Despite causing havoc for the Springboks, no tries were scored in the opening match of the Tri Nations, which was won on penalty goals by the All Blacks. Lomu played his 50th test for the All Blacks at the Carisbrook 'House of Pain', scoring a try in the second minute of play. The Wallabies spoiled the party however, winning 23 to 15. This was followed by a win over South Africa, and loss to the Wallabies at Stadium Australia.

At the end of the year, the All Blacks played Ireland at Lansdowne Road in Dublin. Lomu was a central figure in the 40 to 29 win, setting up Aaron Mauger for his debut try, and taking an inside pass to blast through for one of his own. The All Blacks end of season tour continued at Murrayfield in Edinburgh, where they defeated Scotland 37 to six, with Lomu contributing one try. In the final match of the tour, the All Blacks played Argentina at the River Plate Stadium. Lomu put the All Blacks in front after Argentina took an early lead, brushing off four defenders to score. In the end, New Zealand won the match by a score of 24 to 20.

In his first test of 2002, he came off the bench in the second half to score a try in a match against Italy. He was again injected into play from the bench in the first of a two test series against Ireland in New Zealand; setting up the All Blacks second try coming on in the last fifteen minutes of play. Lomu was back at his usual starting position for the second test against the Irish, which New Zealand won 40 points to eight. Lomu did not score in the subsequent match against Fiji; though he did however make a trademark run down the wing, setting up Christian Cullen's third try in the match. Lomu came off the bench in the All Blacks first game of the 2002 Tri Nations Series against South Africa, though he did not play in the rest of the tournament.

He was, however, back in his starting position on the wing for a game against England in November. Lomu ended up scoring a double, though it was not enough to secure a New Zealand victory, with England winning 31 to 28. The subsequent match against France resulted in a draw, the first between the two nations in 96 years. The last match of the end of season tour was against Wales, which the All Blacks won 43 to 17.

Statistics

International Tries

International Analysis by Opposition

{| class="sortable wikitable" |- |- ! Against ! Played ! Won ! Lost ! Drawn ! Tries ! Points ! % Won |- bgcolor="#d0ffd0" align="center" |- | align="left" | || 2 || 2 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 5 || |- | align="left" | || 13 || 6 || 7 || 0 || 6 || 30 || |- | align="left" | || 7 || 5 || 1 || 1 || 8 || 40 || |- | align="left" | || 1 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || |- | align="left" | || 8 || 3 || 4 || 1 || 4 || 20 || |- | align="left" | || 4 || 4 || 0 || 0 || 3 || 15 || |- | align="left" | || 3 || 3 || 0 || 0 || 5 || 25 || |- | align="left" | || 2 || 2 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 5 || |- | align="left" | || 6 || 6 || 0 || 0 || 7 || 35 || |- | align="left" | || 12 || 7 || 5 || 0 || 0 || 0 || |- | align="left" | || 2 || 2 || 0 || 0 || 2 || 10 || |- | align="left" | || 3 || 3 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || |- class="sortbottom" ! Total || 63 || 44 || 17 || 2 || 37 || 185 || |}

Personal life

Lomu is of Tongan descent, and has had a turbulent personal life. He has been married and divorced twice and is now living with his third partner, who was herself married when she met Lomu.

In 1996, shortly after the 1995 Rugby World Cup in which he made such a big impact, Lomu married South African Tanya Rutter and she moved to live in New Zealand. Four years later in 2000, they were divorced. Then in August 2003, Lomu married his second wife Fiona (who also became his personal manager with a firm hand on all his finances) in a secret ceremony on Waiheke Island. A week later they held a party on the island for approximately 160 guests

In December 2007, it was reported that Lomu and his second wife Fiona were taking timeout from one another.

Then in February 2008, it was reported Lomu and his wife Fiona were divorcing. The reason for the divorce was another woman. Nadene Quirk was married to fringe Auckland Blues rugby player Jarek Goebel when she met Lomu in late 2007. Goebel was devastated by what happened. In early 2008, Lomu moved out of his Auckland property and down to Wellington to live with Quirk.

Health issues

At the end of 1995 Lomu was diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome, a serious kidney disorder. His rugby union career went on hold whilst the disorder was treated. In May 2003, the NZRFU announced that Lomu had been put on dialysis three times a week due to deterioration in his kidney function. Side effects of Lomu's dialysis treatment led to severe nerve damage in his feet and legs; his doctors warned him that he faced life in a wheelchair if a kidney transplant was not performed soon.

Late in March 2004, Lomu was quoted by a Hong Kong newspaper to the effect that a suitable live kidney donor had been found, and that he would have transplant surgery sometime during 2004. However, the former All Blacks team physician who was overseeing Lomu's treatment quickly denied the report. Nonetheless, at the end of July 2004 it was reported that Lomu had indeed undergone a kidney transplant on Tuesday, 28 July, in Auckland, New Zealand. The kidney was in fact donated by Wellington radio presenter Grant Kereama. Lomu soon announced his intention to train for his rugby union renaissance in June 2005.

Comeback quest

In January 2005, Lomu announced his intention to lead a team against Martin Johnson's invitational XV on 4 June 2005, at Twickenham. He scored a try in the first half of the Johnson testimonial, but injured his shoulder in the process and did not return for the second half, dampening an otherwise encouraging first appearance. As it turned out, his injury was more serious than originally thought; he underwent surgery on the shoulder, causing him to miss the 2005 NPC season.

Before returning to professional rugby, he needed special clearance from the World Anti-Doping Agency, as one of the anti-rejection drugs he was required to take is on the WADA list of banned substances. On 8 April 2005, he signed a two-year contract to play for the New Zealand first division provincial team North Harbour in the NPC.

On 9 August 2005, he joined North Harbour, but the shoulder injury he had picked up in the Martin Johnson testimonial game ruled him out for the season, so he worked with the team in a coaching capacity. North Harbour agreed to allow him to play overseas during the NPC offseason, so Lomu signed with the Cardiff Blues of the Celtic League and began playing in Wales in December that year, though he would then return to North Harbour for the 2006 NPC season. Lomu made his first appearance in a competitive match since his transplant on 10 December, in Cardiff's away Heineken Cup fixture against Italian club Calvisano. He started the match and played 60 minutes, although he did not score, making a key line break leading to Cardiff's first try in their 25–10 win.

One week later, he made his home debut for Cardiff at Cardiff Arms Park and played for the whole match. Again, he did not get onto the scoresheet but his presence was enough to create space for other players to score in a 43–16 win over Calvisano. In front of a record home crowd, Lomu scored his first try for Cardiff on 27 December 2005, with a man-of-the-match performance during a Celtic League 41–23 win against the Newport Gwent Dragons. In early 2006, he was sidelined while he concentrated on gaining speed and strength, stating that "I have now lost between 10 and 11 kilos". He got his first start since January against Border Reivers on Saturday, 15 April, but broke his ankle as a result of a cover tackle on him four minutes from time. He was denied a try, but managed to get the ball away for Mark Lewis to score the Blues sixth try in their 46–11 win. He was estimated to be out for six weeks, as reported by his manager and wife, Fiona Lomu, meaning the end of his Celtic League season.

After three seasons of absence from rugby in New Zealand, Lomu played for Massey against Marist in the North Harbour club competition. Lomu was on for 30 minutes, making a blocking run before he twisted his right ankle and was subsequently replaced. Lomu said that it was "a small step" in his comeback. Lomu's aim was to return to the National Provincial Championship and reclaim his All Blacks jersey for the 2007 World Cup. Lomu ended up playing for North Harbour in round four of the National Provincial Championship, in a match against Wellington, playing in the last 26 minutes of the game. Harbour won the match 31–16. Lomu said after the match "For me it's a dream come true...I've always said this is my goal – to come back and play in New Zealand."

It became apparent in early 2007 that Lomu was not going to make the Rugby World Cup after not signing with a New Zealand Super 14 franchise, therefore ruling him out for the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France. Previous to not gaining a Super 14 contract, Lomu had been demoted to the North Harbour 2nd XV. Lomu stated that he was disappointed by his failure to gain a Super 14 contract, but that he had not failed himself.

On 5 November 2006, the BBC reported that Lomu was considering a return to Welsh rugby. He last played rugby in Hong Kong to take part in the Tens competition.

On 9 April 2007, Lomu appeared on New Zealand's version of This Is Your Life, in which he was united with his brother John Lomu.

Lomu was appointed as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the Queen's Birthday Honours list on 4 June 2007.

Retirement

Lomu retired from rugby in 2007, but was persuaded to play in the Help For Heroes charity match at Twickenham a year later, although had to withdraw after injuring his ankle in training.

However, in June 2009, the BBC claimed he was close to joining French third division club Marseille Vitrolles and was expected to start in the first match of the new season.

In September 2009, Lomu took part in a amateur bodybuilding contest in Wellington. He revealed that he has lost weight since preparing in March and now weighs 115 kg. His weight loss was due to intensive gym work and a diet without carbohydrates. He claims he hasn't weighed this little since he left school at 19. He finished second in two categories, including the men’s open over-90 kg, and the mixed pairs. That meant he's done enough to qualify for next month’s competition. His partner Tracy suffered from breast cancer but also recovered like Lomu did. He also prepared for his comeback to rugby. He joined French Fédérale 1 team Marseille Vitrolles in November. Lomu made his debut against Montmelian, they won 64–13 at home. Lomu started the match at centre and was nervous but enjoyed the occasion very much. Lomu has now moved to number 8 successfully with Marseille Vitrolles Rugby, the position he played as a youngster in New Zealand.

Further reading

Phil Shirley "Blood & Thunder The unofficial biography of Jonah Lomu" Harper Collins Publishers London ISBN 0-00-274028-1

Lomu, Jonah, (2004). Jonah Lomu Autobiography, Headline Book Pub Ltd, (ISBN 0-7553-1263-5)

References

External links

Official website

Murray Webb caricatures: Lomu at RWC 1995     Lomu in Counties kit

Jonah Lomu Rugby (video game)

Category:1975 births Category:Living people Category:New Zealand international rugby union players Category:Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit Category:New Zealand rugby union players Category:Chiefs rugby union players Category:Blues rugby union players Category:Hurricanes rugby union players Category:Barbarian F.C. players Category:Rugby union wings Category:New Zealand people of Tongan descent Category:Organ transplant recipients Category:International Rugby Hall of Fame inductees Category:Cardiff Blues players Category:North Harbour rugby union players Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists for New Zealand Category:Former students of Wesley College, Auckland Category:Rugby sevens players at the 1998 Commonwealth Games