The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks, represents New Zealand in men's rugby union, which is considered to be the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cups in 2011 and 2015, as well as the inaugural tournament in 1987.
Ngongotaha is a town on the western shores of Lake Rotorua in New Zealand's North Island. It is 10 kilometers northwest of Rotorua city, and is often regarded as an outer suburb of the larger centre. Its population was 4,107 in the 2013 census.
Sir Bryan George Williams is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer and former coach of the Samoan national rugby team.
Simon Patrick Geoghegan is a former Irish rugby union footballer who played at wing in England for London Irish and Bath and in the Irish Inter-provincial Championships for Connacht Rugby and the Irish Exiles. Simon finished his rugby career at Bath Rugby where a debilitating toe injury limited his appearances and finally ended his playing career.
The Māori All Blacks, previously called the New Zealand Māori, are a rugby union team from New Zealand. A representative team of the New Zealand Rugby Union, a prerequisite for playing in the team is that the player has Māori whakapapa (genealogy). In the past this rule was not strictly applied; non–Māori players who looked Māori were often selected in the team. These included a few Pacific island players and a couple of African descent. Today all players have their ancestry verified before selection in the team.
The Hawke's Bay Rugby Union (HBRU) is the governing body of rugby union in the Hawke's Bay region of New Zealand. The union is based in Napier.
The Manawatu Rugby Football Union (MRU) is the governing body of the sport of rugby union in the Manawatu-Wanganui region of New Zealand.
The Poverty Bay Rugby Football Union is the governing body for rugby union within the Gisborne district, in the area surrounding Poverty Bay on the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand. The men's representative team play from Rugby Park, Gisborne, and currently compete in the Heartland Championship.
Western Heights High School is a state co-educational secondary school located in the northwestern suburbs of Rotorua, New Zealand. In April 2013, 1,887 students from Years 9 to 13 attended the school, including 1,172 students identifying as Māori – the largest Māori school roll in New Zealand in terms of number of students.
The Cavaliers was the name given to an unofficial New Zealand rugby union team which toured South Africa in 1986, playing the Springbok rugby team.
The 1980 New Zealand tour of Wales was a collection of friendly rugby union games undertaken by the New Zealand All Blacks against Wales that also took in two international games in North America en route to South Wales. This was a single test tour against each of the countries played, with four games against Welsh club opposition.
Hutt Old Boys-Marist (HOBM) is a New Zealand rugby football club. Playing in the competitions of the Wellington Rugby Football Union, it is based at the Hutt Recreation Ground in Lower Hutt.
Hikawera Te Po "Hika" Elliot is a New Zealand Maori rugby union player, he currently plays for the Chiefs in the Super Rugby competition and for Taranaki Rugby Union in the ITM Cup.
The 1983 New Zealand rugby union tour of Britain was a series of eight matches played by the New Zealand national rugby union team in Scotland and England in October and November 1983. New Zealand won five of their eight games, drew one and lost the other two. They won neither of the two international matches, drawing with Scotland and losing to England. In the non-international fixtures they also suffered a defeat by the English Midlands Division invitational team.
The 1981 New Zealand rugby union tour of Romania and France was a series of ten matches played by the New Zealand national rugby union team in Romania and France in October and November 1981. The All Blacks won eight of the ten games, including the international match against Romania and both internationals against France. The only team to defeat the All Blacks was a French regional selection, and the All Blacks were also held to a draw by another regional team.
The 1960 New Zealand rugby union tour of South Africa, was a series of rugby union match played by New Zealand national rugby union team in South Africa and Rhodesia.
On 23 May 2013, it was announced by the New Zealand Rugby Union that following a successful tour in 2012, the Māori All Blacks will tour North America to take on Canada and the United States. The fixtures would not be the first time the national sides have met the invitational side, as the teams participated in the now defunct Churchill Cup, and the Māoris faced Canada during their 2012 tour where the Māoris were victorious 32-19. The head coach for the tour was announced as Taranaki's head coach Colin Cooper. He was assisted by Crusaders assistant coach Tabai Matson, and former All Black Carl Hoeft as the scrummage coach.
Nathan Paul Harris is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays as a hooker for Bay of Plenty in the ITM Cup and the Chiefs in Super Rugby.
Liam Polwart is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays as a hooker for Bay of Plenty in New Zealand's domestic Mitre 10 Cup and for the Chiefs in the international Super Rugby competition.
