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 Australia men's national rugby union team, nicknamed the Wallabies, is the representative men's national team in the sport of rugby union for the nation of Australia. The team first played at Sydney in 1899, winning their first test match against the touring British Isles team.
The Fiji national rugby union team represents Fiji in men's international rugby union. Fiji competed in the Pacific Tri-Nations and now competes in its successor tournament Pacific Nations Cup. Fiji also regularly plays test matches during the June and November test windows. They have beaten the major rugby playing sides of Wales, Scotland, Australia, France, Italy, Argentina and England. The only major sides Fiji are yet to beat are New Zealand, South Africa and Ireland.
Sonny William Williams is a New Zealand heavyweight boxer, and a former professional rugby league and rugby union player. He is only the second person to represent New Zealand in rugby union after first playing for the country in rugby league, and is one of only 43 players to have won the Rugby World Cup twice.
Jerry Collins was a professional rugby union player. Although he was born in Apia, Samoa, he grew up in New Zealand and played for the New Zealand national team, earning 48 caps. At club level, he played for the Hurricanes Super Rugby franchise in New Zealand, Toulon and Narbonne in the Rugby Pro D2, Ospreys in Wales, and Yamaha Júbilo in Japan. He played as a flanker and number eight, and was considered to be one of the hardest tacklers in the sport.
The Pacific Nations Cup is an international rugby union competition held between Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Canada, Japan and the United States. First held in 2006, the tournament is intended to strengthen the Tier 2 rugby teams by providing competitive test matches in a tournament format.
Greg Mardon Somerville is a New Zealand rugby union player. He is a former All Black and a specialised tighthead prop who can also play loosehead. Somerville made his All Black debut in 2000 against Tonga, a match in which the All Blacks won 102–0. Somerville went 41 test matches before scoring his first, and only test try against Fiji in 2005. Somerville played domestic rugby for Canterbury Rugby Football Union and for the Crusaders in the Super Rugby competition, having played 100 matches for the latter after debuting against the Chiefs in 1999. Somerville's nickname is Yoda, after the fictional character from Star Wars due to their resemblance.
Robin Matthew Brooke is a former New Zealand rugby player. He played for the New Zealand national rugby union team in the 1990s, playing many tests alongside brother Zinzan Brooke.
The 1969 Wales rugby union tour was a series of rugby union games undertaken by the Wales national rugby union team to Australia, Fiji and New Zealand. The tour took in four matches against regional and invitational teams and three tests; two to New Zealand and one to Australia. This was the second official Wales tour to the southern hemisphere and the first to Australasia and Melanesia.
The 2011 mid-year rugby union tests featured only seven matches due to the upcoming 2011 Rugby World Cup. No test series took place, although the Barbarians did play two matches in the United Kingdom; England and Wales. New Zealand and Australia hosted a respective Tier 2 side, Australia hosted Samoa, New Zealand hosted Fiji. Argentina hosted the French Barbarians, while Japan played a Top League XV side in Tokyo.
Malakai Fonokalafi Fekitoa is a Tongan professional rugby union player who plays as a centre for United Rugby Championship club Benetton and the Tonga national team.
The 2013 end of year rugby tests, also known as the 2013 Autumn internationals in the Northern Hemisphere, were a series of international rugby union matches predominantly played between European sides - England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales, and visiting Southern Hemisphere countries - Argentina, Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Samoa, South Africa and Tonga.
The 2014 end-of-year rugby tests, also known as the 2014 autumn internationals in the Northern Hemisphere, were international rugby union matches predominantly played between visiting Southern Hemisphere countries and European nations.
Anton Russell Lienert-Brown is a New Zealand professional rugby union player who plays as a centre for Super Rugby club Chiefs and the New Zealand national team.
The 2015 mid-year rugby union internationals refer to international rugby union matches that were mostly played in the Southern Hemisphere.
Setareki Tamanivalu is a Fijian rugby union player and former All Black. He currently plays in the centre position for Toshiba Brave Lupus.
The 2017 mid-year rugby union internationals were international rugby union matches that were mostly played in the Southern Hemisphere during the June international window.
Isaia Walker-Leawere is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays as a lock for the Hurricanes in Super Rugby and Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition.
George Bell is a New Zealand rugby union player, who plays for Crusaders.
