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.
The Highlanders is a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Dunedin that compete in Super Rugby. The team was formed in 1996 to represent the lower South Island in the newly formed Super 12 competition, and includes the Otago, North Otago and Southland unions. The Highlanders take their name from the Scottish immigrants that founded the Otago, North Otago, and Southland regions in the 1840s and 1850s.
Andrew Philip Mehrtens is a New Zealand former rugby union player. He was regarded as a top first five-eighth, having played first for Canterbury in 1993, before being selected for the All Blacks in 1995 when he played in the 1995 World Cup.
Richard Hugh McCaw is a retired New Zealand professional rugby union player. He captained the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks, in 110 out of his 148 test matches, and won two Rugby World Cups. He has won the World Rugby Player of the Year award a joint record three times and was the most capped test rugby player of all time from August 2015 to October 2020. McCaw was awarded World Rugby player of the decade (2011–2020) in 2021. McCaw is also a winner of the New Zealand sportsman of the decade award.
Sir Graham William Henry is a New Zealand rugby union coach, and former head coach of the country's national team, the All Blacks. Nicknamed 'Ted', he led New Zealand to win the 2011 World Cup.
John Bernard Hart is a New Zealand former rugby union personality who coached and managed both the All Blacks and the Auckland rugby union team, and played rugby for Waitemata and Auckland.
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 competition. The union was to have been liquidated in March 2012. However a deal involving the Dunedin City Council allowed it to keep operating. Otago have won the Ranfurly Shield on seven occasions. They were the National provincial championship winners in 1991 and 1998. They have a proud record playing international teams, having defeated South Africa and the British and Irish Lions.
Frank Eneri Bunce is a retired New Zealand rugby union player and coach. He played international rugby for both Western Samoa and New Zealand in the 1990s, appearing in the 1991 and 1995 World Cups. He played in four international matches for Samoa and 55 for New Zealand.
Johan "Rassie" Erasmus is a South African rugby union coach and former player. He was the head coach of the South African national team from 2018 to the end of their 2019 World Cup campaign, doubling up on his duties as the first ever SARU Director of Rugby, to which he was appointed towards the end of 2017. He led South Africa to win the Rugby World Cup in 2019 and 2023. He also won the 2019 World Rugby Coach of the Year award. Erasmus played for the Free State, the Golden Lions, Cats and the Stormers. He won 36 caps for South Africa between 1997 and 2001, including playing at the 1999 Rugby World Cup.
Mark Richard Allen, commonly known as Bull Allen, is a New Zealand former rugby union footballer and TV celebrity, reaching iconic status on the New Zealand sports scene in the 1990s. As well as 19 games and 8 test match appearances for New Zealand, Allen played 110 games for Taranaki and was captain of the inaugural Wellington Hurricanes Super 12 team. He was also captain of the first and short-lived Central Vikings team.
Alexander John "Grizz" Wyllie is a New Zealand rugby union former player and coach.
Sir Stephen William Hansen and High Chief of Vaiala, is a New Zealand rugby union coach and former player. He is also the father of Black Ferns assistant coach, Whitney Hansen.
The history of the Highlanders focuses on the rugby union team in the Super Rugby competitions. The team was originally formed as one of five New Zealand franchises for the Super 12 in 1996. The team encompassed the provinces of North Otago, Otago and Southland. The Highlanders placed eighth in their first year with five wins, but slumped to last in the competition in 1997 with only three wins. They improved to qualify for their first semi-final in 1998, and became the first New Zealand team to defeat all four South African franchises in the process. They were defeated by eventual 1998 Champions the Auckland Blues in their semi-final however. Their best ever finish came in 1999 when they won eight matches, and their semi-final to host the 1999 Super 12 Final at Carisbrook, but lost to South Island rivals Crusaders in the match. They qualified for their third consecutive semi-finals in 2000, and this time played the Crusaders in Christchurch, but lost again.
Matthew James Andrew Cooper is a former New Zealand international rugby union player. He made his All Black test debut against Ireland on 6 June 1992, setting a then-world record of 23 points on test debut, with the last of his eight caps coming on 3 July 1994 against France.
Lee Stensness is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer who played for Manawatu, Auckland, the Blues and the All Blacks. He made his debut for the All Blacks in 1993.
Israel Jamahl Akuhata Dagg is a former New Zealand rugby union player who played for the Crusaders in Super Rugby. He has also played for the New Zealand Sevens team, and represents Hawkes Bay in the ITM Cup.
Ben John Franks is an Australian-born New Zealand rugby union coach and former player. He played as a prop. He is one of only 43 players who have won the Rugby World Cup on multiple occasions.
Andrew Bruce Farley played professional rugby union, he represented the Queensland Reds, Otago Rugby Football Union, L'Aquila Rugby, Swansea RFC, Connacht Rugby and FC Grenoble where after retiring, became GM of Rugby Operations.
John Joseph Stewart, generally known as JJ Stewart, was a New Zealand rugby union coach and administrator, and secondary school teacher. His obituary said that in 1973 when he took over as All Blacks coach, he was the right man at the right time for a team that was scarred and in crisis from a home loss to the British Lions in 1971, a controversial British tour in 1972–73 and a cancelled Springbok tour in 1973.
