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.
Robert Charles Stuart was a New Zealand rugby union player and administrator. He was given a lifetime service award by the International Rugby Board immediately after the 2003 Rugby World Cup.
David Gallaher was an Irish-born New Zealand rugby union footballer best remembered as the captain of the "Original All Blacks"—the 1905–06 New Zealand national team, the first representative New Zealand side to tour the British Isles. Under Gallaher's leadership the Originals won 34 out of 35 matches over the course of tour, including legs in France and North America; the New Zealanders scored 976 points and conceded only 59. Before returning home he co-wrote the classic rugby text The Complete Rugby Footballer with his vice-captain Billy Stead. Gallaher retired as a player after the 1905–06 tour and took up coaching and selecting; he was a selector for both Auckland and New Zealand for most of the following decade.
The Auckland Rugby Union is a New Zealand provincial rugby union. The union was established in 1883 and was originally responsible for the administration of the sport in most of the former Auckland Province, although its boundaries have since shrunk to include only a portion of the Auckland urban area. The union governs the Auckland representative team, which has won New Zealand's first-tier domestic provincial competition 17 times, more than any other team. Their most recent title was the 2018 Mitre 10 Cup Premiership. The union administers all club rugby within its boundaries, including the Gallaher Shield and other senior club rugby, as well as school rugby. Auckland also acts as a primary feeder to the Blues, who play in the Super Rugby competition.
Paul Lane Penn was a New Zealand rugby union player, coach and administrator. A wing, Penn played for Taranaki and Wairarapa at provincial level, and later became coach of Wairarapa-Bush. He was an All Black selector from 1988 to 1991, and served as president of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union from 2001 to 2003.
Duncan McGregor, was a New Zealand rugby union and rugby league footballer. He was a member of the legendary 1905 Original All Blacks and later converted to rugby league when he went on the 1907 New Zealand league tour of Britain and Australia. He stayed in Britain following the 1907–08 tour, and opened a sport store as well as playing for Merthyr Tydfil RLFC. He returned to New Zealand after five years and continued to be involved in rugby league as an administrator and official.
Mark William Shaw is a former New Zealand rugby union player. A flanker, Shaw represented Horowhenua, Manawatu and Hawke's Bay provincially and the All Blacks internationally. He was educated at Kāpiti College.
Peter Robert Tyler Thorburn was a New Zealand rugby union player and coach. He played his entire career as a number eight for Auckland from 1965 to 1970. He became a coach after his playing career ended, coaching domestically at first for North Harbour and the New Zealand national rugby sevens team. He later coached in England with Bristol Rugby from 2001 to 2003, before becoming interim head coach of the United States national rugby union team and guiding the side to the 2007 Rugby World Cup. He was also a selector for the All Blacks.
The 1907–1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Australia and Great Britain was made by a group of New Zealand rugby footballers who played matches in Australia, Ceylon, England and Wales between 1907 and 1908. Most of the matches were played under the rules of the Northern Union, a sport that is today known as rugby league. As such, the team were the immediate predecessors of the New Zealand national rugby league team. The tour had a large role in establishing rugby league in both Australia and New Zealand, and also gave birth to international rugby league. The tour party has come to be known as the professional All Blacks or All Golds, although at the time they were commonly referred to as the All Blacks—a named popularised by the New Zealand rugby union team that toured the Northern Hemisphere in 1905.
Alwin John "Dougie" McGregor (1889–1963) was a dual-code rugby footballer who represented New Zealand in both rugby union and rugby league.
In rugby union, the Tom French Cup is an honour awarded by New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) to the Tom French Memorial Māori player of the year. The cup has been awarded annually since 1949, when it was donated to the New Zealand Māori coach Tom French while the team was on tour in Australia. French had represented Buller provincially, and was selected for New Zealand Maori in 1911. After the First World War, where he lost an arm at Passchendaele, French continued his involvement in rugby by serving as both a selector and administrator. In 1957 he was made a life member of the NZRU.
Ashley Alton "Ash" McGregor is a former New Zealand rugby union player. A loose forward, McGregor represented Southland and, briefly, Otago at a provincial level. He was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, on their 1978 tour of Britain and Ireland, playing three matches but no internationals.
John Lorraine Sullivan was a New Zealand rugby union player, coach and administrator. A three-quarter and second five-eighth, Sullivan represented Taranaki at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, from 1936 to 1938. He played nine matches for the All Blacks including six internationals.
Stanley Frank "Tiny" Hill was a New Zealand international rugby union player and selector. A lock and flanker, Hill represented Canterbury and Counties at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, from 1955 to 1959. He played 19 matches for the All Blacks, two of which were as captain, including 11 internationals. After retiring as a player, Hill served as New Zealand Army and Canterbury selector, and as an All Black selector from 1981 to 1986.
Peter Standish Burke was a New Zealand rugby union player, coach and administrator. A lock and number 8, Burke represented Bay of Plenty, Auckland and Taranaki at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, in 1951, 1955 and 1957. He played 12 matches for the All Blacks including three internationals.
Jack Lester Griffiths was a New Zealand rugby union player. A utility back who played in every backline position except on the wing, Griffiths represented Wellington at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, from 1934 to 1938. He played 30 matches for the All Blacks—three of which were as captain—including seven internationals. In all he scored 50 points for the All Blacks, but none in Test matches.
Robert Read Masters was a New Zealand rugby union player and administrator. A lock, Masters represented Canterbury at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, from 1923 to 1925. He played 31 matches for the All Blacks including four internationals, scoring six tries in all.
Alexander McDonald was a New Zealand rugby union player. A loose forward, McDonald represented Otago at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, between 1905 and 1913. He played 41 matches for the All Blacks including 14 as captain. McDonald played in eight internationals, including the famous "Match of the Century" against Wales. He went on to coach both the Otago and Wellington provincial teams, and was a North Island, South Island and national selector. He co-managed the All Blacks on their 1938 tour of Australia, and was assistant manager for the 1949 South African tour.
Donald Joseph Oliver was an All Blacks rugby union player from New Zealand. He was a wing threequarter.
John McLeod Taylor was a New Zealand rugby union player. A fullback, Taylor represented Otago and Wellington at a provincial level. He was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, in 1937 and 1938. In all, he played nine matches for the All Blacks, including six internationals, scoring 45 points in all. After World War II, Taylor remained active in rugby as a coach, selector and administrator, including a period as Wellington coach, and later as chair of the Wellington Rugby Union management committee.
