All Blacks

The All Blacks is the nickname of the New Zealand men’s national rugby union team. They’re one of the most feared teams on the planet and it’s easy to see why. After all, they’ve won the Rugby World Cup three times (1987, 2011 and 2015) and they were the number one ranked team in the world between 2009 and 2019. They’re also the only international men’s team to have secured more wins than losses against every single opponent they’ve ever faced.

The All Blacks rugby team was formed in 1903 and the team’s nickname comes from the kit they wore in 1905, when the only non-black part of the side’s kit was the white fern crest on each player’s chest.

Before matches, the All Blacks squad perform the haka, which is a Māori challenge or posture dance. The All Blacks haka is one of the most famous sights in rugby union. In fact, it’s so iconic that since 2005 the New Zealand team has performed a unique All Blacks haka designed specifically for the team. It’s called ‘Kapa o Pango’, which translates simply to ‘team in black’.

The professional era of rugby started in 1995 and since then, the All Blacks team has dominated international rugby. They’ve won The Rugby Championship 16 times, completed a Grand Slam over the Home Nations four times and have been voted as the World Rugby Team of the Year 10 times.

In addition to this, All Blacks players are just as popular as the All Blacks team itself. In fact, an All Blacks player has been voted as the World Player of the Year 10 times since 2001 and 15 former All Blacks players have been inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame.  

Read below to see the latest All Blacks news and discover more about upcoming All Blacks fixtures and squad announcements.