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. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987, 2011 and 2015. They were the first country to win the Rugby World Cup 3 times.
The 1981 South African rugby tour polarised opinions and inspired widespread protests across New Zealand. The controversy also extended to the United States, where the South African rugby team continued their tour after departing New Zealand.
Zinzan Valentine Brooke is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer who played at number eight. He has two other brothers who also played rugby at representative level: Marty, who played for Auckland and Southland; and Robin, who played lock for Auckland and New Zealand.
Rugby Southland is the provincial rugby union who govern the Southland region of New Zealand. Their headquarters are at Rugby Park Stadium in Invercargill, which is also the home ground of the union's professional team, the Southland Stags who compete in the Mitre 10 Cup Championship Division and challenge for the Ranfurly Shield.
Bradley Carnegie Thorn is a rugby union coach and former rugby league and rugby union footballer. Born in New Zealand, he represented Australia in rugby league and New Zealand in rugby union in a 22-season career as a player. He is currently the head coach of the Queensland Reds.
Murray Graham Mexted is a former New Zealand rugby union player who played 34 consecutive tests for the All Blacks from 1979 to 1985. He also played 38 non-test games including 7 as captain. During his time with the All Blacks, he wore the Number eight jersey and was considered an excellent ball winner and an effective defender.
The Bay of Plenty Rugby Union is the governing body for rugby union in a portion of the Bay of Plenty Region of New Zealand. Its colours are dark blue and yellow in a hooped design. The BOPRU govern the running of the Bay of Plenty representative team which have won New Zealand's first-tier domestic competition National Provincial Championship once. Their most recent victory was the 1976 competition, they were the first side to win the competition. Bay of Plenty also acts as a primary feeder to the Chiefs, who play in the Super Rugby competition.
Stratford High School is a secondary school in Stratford, Taranaki, New Zealand. It is the only co-educational high school in the Stratford District.
Taranaki Rugby, previously the Taranaki Rugby Football Union, is the governing body for rugby union in Taranaki, New Zealand; Taranaki is a region of New Zealand that covers areas in the districts of New Plymouth and South Taranaki. Established in 1889, they represent the Mitre 10 Cup side, Taranaki Bulls, and Farah Palmer Cup side, Taranaki Whio. It is also affiliated with the Chiefs Super Rugby franchise. Their home playing colours are amber and black and they play their home games at TET Stadium & Events Centre in Inglewood.
Tony Dale Woodcock is a New Zealand former rugby union player. His position was loosehead prop, and he played 111 tests for the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks. Woodcock played for the All Blacks from 2002 to 2015, scoring eight test tries. He was described by The Dominion Post as "widely regarded as the world's premier loosehead", and by The New Zealand Herald as having the "best range of skills of any prop on the planet". He is now the most capped All Black prop of all time, and is the second most capped player in Blues history, behind Keven Mealamu. He was a key member of the 2011 and 2015 Rugby World Cup winning squads, becoming one of only 20 players to have won multiple Rugby World Cups.
Cory Steven Jane is a New Zealand international rugby union player.
Murray Williams is a former New Zealand rugby union player. A fly-half, Williams notably played for Bay of Plenty in the National Provincial Championship and the Chiefs in Super Rugby.
The Cavaliers was an unofficial New Zealand rugby union team which toured South Africa in 1986. Because of the Apartheid policies of the South African government, the official New Zealand Rugby Union tour scheduled for 1985 was cancelled, and the Cavaliers tour was very controversial in New Zealand.
The 1979 France rugby union tour of Fiji New Zealand Tahiti was a series of ten matches played in June and July 1979 by the France national rugby union team in Fiji, New Zealand and Tahiti. The team won seven matches and lost three, including defeats to provincial teams Waikato and Southland. They drew their two-match test series against New Zealand national rugby union team, losing the first test but winning the second. The victory in the second test was France's first away victory against New Zealand, gained at the eighth attempt.
The 1979 New Zealand rugby union tour of England, Scotland and Italy was a series of eleven matches played by the New Zealand national rugby union team in England, Scotland and Italy in October and November 1979. The tour was very successful as the team won ten of the eleven games, including the international matches against Scotland and England. The only team to defeat the All Blacks was the English Northern Division.
Thomas James Taylor is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He played as a second five-eighth or first five-eighth for the Crusaders in Super Rugby. and Canterbury in the ITM Cup. He can also play fullback.
Charlie Ngatai is a New Zealand-born professional rugby union footballer who plays as a Midfield Back, although he can also cover other backline positions. Ngatai is currently playing for Lyon in France, having previously been Captain of the Chiefs, Taranaki Rugby Football Union and of the Māori All Blacks internationally.
Murray James Pierce is a former New Zealand rugby union player who played as a lock forward. He won 26 caps for the All Blacks between 1984 and 1989 and played in the victorious New Zealand team at the 1987 Rugby World Cup. Pierce made his debut for the All Blacks in the 1984 tour to Australia and Fiji. In addition to his 26 international test caps, he played 28 additional games for the All Blacks. Pierce was also a sworn member of the New Zealand Police as were a number of other All Blacks of his era, such as John Gallagher.
Bruce Alexander Watt was a New Zealand rugby union player. A first five-eighth, Watt represented Wanganui and Canterbury at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, from 1962 to 1964. He played 29 matches for the All Blacks including eight internationals. He later coached extensively among regional junior teams. He was also a cricketer who played Hawke Cup cricket for Rangitikei.
James Russell Watt was a New Zealand rugby union player. A wing three-quarter, Watt represented Otago, Southland, and Wellington at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, between 1957 and 1962. He played 42 matches for the All Blacks including nine internationals, scoring 114 points in all.
