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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 unmatched international success, the All Blacks have often been regarded as the most successful sports team in history.
The England men’s national rugby union team represents England in men's international rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. England have won the championship on 29 occasions, winning the Grand Slam 14 times and the Triple Crown 26 times, making them the most successful outright winners in the tournament's history. They are currently the only team from the Northern Hemisphere to win the Rugby World Cup, having won the tournament in 2003, and have been runners-up on three further occasions.
Josevata Taliga "Joe" Rokocoko is a New Zealand former professional rugby union player, who played as a wing.
The Ireland national rugby union team is the men's representative national team for the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team represents both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Ireland competes in the annual Six Nations Championship and in the Rugby World Cup. Ireland is one of the four unions that make up the British & Irish Lions – players eligible to play for Ireland are also eligible for the Lions. Ireland are competing in the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.
The France national rugby union team represents the French Rugby Federation France in men's international rugby union matches. Colloquially known as Le XV de France, the team traditionally wears blue shirts with a Gallic rooster embroidered on the chest, white shorts and red socks in reference to the French national flag. Les Bleus mostly play home matches at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, near Paris. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship along with England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. France have won the tournament on 26 occasions, winning the Grand Slam 10 times.
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.
John Andrew Leslie is a former rugby union footballer who played at centre for Scotland. He is the elder son of Andy Leslie the great All Blacks captain and the brother of Martin Leslie who also played for Scotland. He was educated at St Patrick's College, Silverstream, and completed a BPhEd at the University of Otago in 1994.
Edward Jones is an Australian rugby union coach and former player. He currently coaches the Australia national rugby union team after returning to replace Dave Rennie in January 2023 following his sacking from England. He was the head coach of the England national team from 2015 to 2022. His first stint coaching the Wallabies was between 2001–2005 where he coached them to successful Bledisloe Cup games and a Rugby World Cup final.
Delon Anthony Armitage is a rugby union coach and former player who played at wing or fullback for Lyon OU and is capped for England. He also occasionally played centre. Armitage started out at London Irish and Toulon. He sometimes did place kicking, mainly from a distance or if the regular kicker was unable to take it. He left Toulon at the end of the 2015/2016 season to join French Top 14 side Lyon. He retired at the end of the 2018/2019 season.
Haka, traditional dances of the Māori people, have been used in sports in New Zealand and overseas. Haka are performed to challenge opponents before matches. The dance form has been adopted by the New Zealand national rugby union team, the "All Blacks", the Māori All Blacks, New Zealand women's national rugby union team, the "Black Ferns" and a number of other New Zealand national teams perform before their international matches; some non-New Zealand sports teams have also adopted haka.
The Croatia national rugby union team is governed by the Croatian Rugby Union. Croatia have been playing internationals rugby since 1992, they have yet to qualify for the Rugby World Cup. The national side is ranked 46th in the world
Joseph Paul Lydon is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s, and coached rugby union in the 2000s and 2010s, and rugby league and rugby union administrator of the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. He played representative level rugby league (RL) for Great Britain and Lancashire, and at club level for Widnes, Wigan and Eastern Suburbs, as a fullback, wing, centre, or stand-off, has coached representative level rugby union (RU) for England, England Sevens (2001-), was the Team Manager for Wigan (1994–96), Performance Consultant for Waterloo FC (2007-), Chief Executive for Wigan Warriors (2007-), Head of Rugby Performance & Development for Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) (2008-), and Head of International Player Development for Rugby Football Union (RFU) (2013-).
Mark David Bailey is a professor of later medieval history at the University of East Anglia. In 2019, he delivered the James Ford Lectures in British History at Oxford University, which were later published as a book, After the Black Death: Economy, society, and the law in fourteenth-century England.
Michael Byrne, nicknamed Mick the Kick, is a former Australian rules footballer and rugby union coach, whom specialises in kicking and team skills. Byrne played with Melbourne, Hawthorn and Sydney in the Victorian Football League (VFL) from 1977 to 1989. He also coached his junior side in 1994–95. Currently Byrne is the head coach of Super Rugby Pacific team Fijian Drua ahead of there 2022 season.
Anthony Frank Boric is a former rugby union footballer who represented the New Zealand in international rugby, and was a member of the 2011 Rugby World Cup winning All Blacks squad. He played as a lock.
Jon Clarke is a rugby union player for Yorkshire Carnegie in the RFU Championship. He plays primarily as a centre and also occasionally at full-back or on the wing.
Craig Ivan Green is a New Zealand born former rugby union footballer and coach. He was part of the 1987 Rugby World Cup winning All Blacks team.
James Lionel Broome Salmon is an English rugby union centre who uniquely appeared in international matches for both New Zealand and England.
Samisoni Frank Simpson Taukei'aho is a professional rugby union player who plays as a hooker for Super Rugby club Chiefs. Born in Tonga, he represents New Zealand at international level after qualifying on residency grounds.
References
- ↑ "Why our country needs us!". Western Daily Press . 31 March 1984.
- ↑ "Simpson - a solid choise". The Daily Telegraph . 25 November 1983.
- ↑ "England trounce the All Blacks". Evening Sentinel . 19 November 1983.