The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks, represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. Famed for their international success, the All Blacks have often been regarded as one of the most successful sports teams in history.
New Zealand Rugby (NZR) 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 World Rugby, the governing body of rugby union for the world. It dropped the word "Football" from its name in 2006. The brand name New Zealand Rugby was adopted in 2013. Officially, it is an incorporated society with the name New Zealand Rugby Union Incorporated.
The United States men's national rugby union team, nicknamed the Eagles, represents the United States of America Rugby Football Union in men's international rugby union. USA Rugby is the national governing body for the sport of rugby union in the United States, and is a member of Rugby Americas North, one of six regional governing bodies under World Rugby. Until rugby returned to Olympic competition, with sevens at the 2016 Rio Games, the United States was the reigning Olympic rugby champion, having defeated the one other competitor in 1920 and the two other competitors at the 1924 Summer Olympics.
Lang Park, nicknamed "The Cauldron", also known as Brisbane Stadium and commercially Suncorp Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, located in the suburb of Milton. The current facility comprises a three-tiered rectangular sporting stadium with a capacity of 52,500 people. The traditional home of rugby league in Brisbane, the modern stadium is also now used for rugby union and soccer and has a rectangular playing field of 136 by 82 metres. The stadium's major tenants are the Brisbane Broncos, the Dolphins (NRL), the Queensland Reds and the Queensland Maroons.
Andrew David Farrell is an English professional rugby union coach and former player for both rugby league and rugby union. Farrell has been head coach of the Ireland national team since 2019.
Rugby league in New Zealand dates to the beginning of the sport in England. New Zealand played an integral role in the history of rugby league football. Of all rugby league nations New Zealand was second only to England to compete in international competition.
Maurice Joseph Brownlie was an international New Zealand rugby union player. A loose forward, Brownlie represented Hawke's Bay at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks, from 1922 until 1928. He played 61 matches for New Zealand—a record for All Black appearances that stood until surpassed by Kevin Skinner in 1956—and scored 21 tries. These matches included eight Tests. He captained the All Blacks on 19 occasions, including for the 1928 tour of South Africa.
The Tasman Rugby Union is the governing body for rugby union in Tasman Bay / Te Tai-o-Aorere, a bay at the north end of the South Island in New Zealand. Headquartered in Nelson, TRU is New Zealand's newest provincial union, founded in 2006 with the amalgamation of the existing Marlborough and Nelson Bays sub unions.
Rugby union has been played in New Zealand since 1870 and is the most popular sport in the country as well as being its national sport.
The Buller Rugby Union (BRU) is a rugby union province based in the town of Westport, New Zealand. The Buller provincial boundary also includes other notable towns such as Reefton, Karamea, Granity, Charleston, Punakaiki and Murchison.
Rory David Best is an Irish former rugby union player who was the captain of the Ireland national team from 2016 to 2019. He played hooker for Ulster and was registered for Banbridge RFC. Best earned 124 caps for Ireland, making his debut in 2005 and retiring at the end of the 2019 Rugby World Cup, his fourth World Cup. Best is one of the most capped rugby players of all time, as well as the most-capped forward to represent Ireland.
James Whitinui Joseph is a New Zealand-born Japanese former rugby union player and current rugby union coach. A flanker, Joseph represented Otago at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, from 1992 to 1995, before representing Japan in 1999. Joseph, now head coach of the Japanese national side, has coached since his retirement, coming through the ranks in New Zealand before his first national stint.
John Hoani Macdonald was a New Zealand sportsman. He competed in rowing at the 1930 Empire Games, winning gold in the coxed fours, and at the 1932 Summer Olympics, becoming one of the first two Māori Olympians. He played rugby union for New Zealand Māori from 1926 to 1935 and professional rugby league in England from 1935 to 1939. During World War II he served in the Royal New Zealand Air Force and played rugby union for New Zealand Services and England Services sides. He also played tennis for the Royal New Zealand Air Force team in armed forces matches at Wimbledon. He was inducted into the Māori Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.
Craig Paul Joubert is a South African professional rugby union referee and a Referee Talent Development Coach at World Rugby.
Gerald Venables Kyrke was an English international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Marlborough Nomads and was selected for the 1908 Anglo-Welsh tour of New Zealand and Australia.
Nicolaas Jacobus Janse van Rensburg is a South African professional rugby union player, currently playing with Montpellier in the French Top 14. His regular position is lock.
Thomas Fisher was a New Zealand rugby union player. A loose forward, Fisher represented Buller and Marlborough at a provincial level. He was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, on their 1914 tour of Australia, playing five games and scoring one try, but he did not appear in any test matches.
Johannes Frederick 'Jacques' Vermeulen is a South African rugby union player for English club Exeter Chiefs. His regular position is flanker but he can also play as a lock or number 8.
Atunaisa Moli is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays as a Prop for the Force in Super Rugby and Tasman in the Bunnings NPC. He has represented the New Zealand national rugby union team the All Blacks.
Tristan Freitas Hegglun was a New Zealand rower, rugby union player, and local-body politician. He rowed for his country at the 1950 British Empire Games, and won two national rowing titles. A front-row forward and lock, he played provincial rugby for both Wellington and Marlborough, and was involved in services matches during World War II. He later served as a Blenheim borough councillor.
