| New Zealand Rugby Football Union | |
| | Founded | 1892 | | IRB affiliation | 1949 | | President | Andy Leslie | | Men's coach | Graham Henry | | Women's coach | Jed Rowlands | | Official website | | www.nzrfu.co.nz |
 | The New Zealand Rugby Football Union (NZRFU) (also known as the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU)) is the governing body of rugby union in New Zealand. It is affiliated to the International Rugby Board the sport's world governing body. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...
The IRB logo. ...
Andy Leslie, (born November 10, 1944 as Andrew Roy Leslie) is an ex-All Black captain and number eight. ...
Graham Henry (born 8 June 1946 in Christchurch) is a New Zealand rugby union coach, currently head coach of the countrys national team, the All Blacks. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_New_Zealand. ...
For other uses, see Rugby (disambiguation). ...
The IRB logo. ...
The NZRFU celebrated its Centenary with the All Blacks playing against an invitational World XV team in 1992.
Seven unions were represented but with the significant absence of Canterbury, Otago and Southland. The NZRFU joined the International Rugby Board in 1949. The IRB logo. ...
All Blacks and NZ Rugby History The first game of rugby played in New Zealand took place before the New Zealand Rugby Football Union was formed. From early European times, football in various forms had been played but from the description of the game in local papers, it is certain that the match between Nelson College and Nelson football club, played on 14 May 1870, was played under rugby rules.
Credit for the introduction of rugby to New Zealand goes to Charles John Monro, son of Sir David Monro, Speaker in the House of Representatives from 1860 to 1870. Charles Monro, who was born at Waimea East, was sent to Christ's College, Finchley in England to complete his education and while there he learned the rugby game. On his return to Nelson he suggested that the local football club try out the rugby rules. The game must have appealed to the club members for they decided to adopt it.
A visit to Wellington by Monro later in 1870 resulted in a game being arranged between Nelson and Wellington. This match was played at Petone on 12 September and was won by Nelson by two goals to one.
In 1871 the game became organised in Wellington and it had spread to Wanganui by the following year. Auckland adopted rugby in 1873 while Hamilton followed suit in 1874. By 1875 the game had become established all over the colony and a team representing Auckland clubs undertook a two-week southern tour. Matches were played (and lost) against teams from Wellington, Dunedin, Christchurch, Nelson and Taranaki.
First New Zealand Unions In 1879, unions were formed in Canterbury and Wellington, indicating that the game was becoming more formally organised. Other unions soon followed but it was not until 1892 that the New Zealand Rugby Football Union was formed to administer the game at national level.
Even before the New Zealand Rugby Football Union came into being, overseas tours had been arranged. In 1882 the first rugby team from overseas visited New Zealand when New South Wales toured both islands late in the season. In 1884, a New Zealand team, wearing blue jerseys with a gold fern, returned the visit, winning all its matches in New South Wales. New South Wales sent another side to New Zealand in 1886 and the first British team to visit arrived in 1888. The New Zealand Native Team became the first from the colony to visit Britain when it undertook the longest tour ever in 1888-89. The first national side to take the field under the auspices of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union did so in 1893, when 10 games were played on a tour of Australia.
Since 1893, New Zealand has sent teams to every major rugby country and to some countries where the game is very minor. At the same time, the NZRFU has been host to players from all corners of the world. The game is spreading all the time and although rugby players in some countries may not be too sure where New Zealand is, it is certain they would have heard of the All Blacks.
(Source: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand Rugby , 1981)
The Beginnings of World Dominance Tours of foreign countries early in the twentieth century were long and arduous. Players spent, literally, years away from their families. The personal sacrifices of such men, and the close team culture that developed over the course of such tours, began to have a magical effect on our rugby. National representative honours were becoming hugely respected, as much for the acknowledgement of those sacrifices and the recognition of the pride involved in making them as for the outstanding winning record we were developing.
The 1905 "All Blacks" swept through Britain and Europe displaying a style of rugby that took the other nations by surprise. New Zealand's long history of innovation in the game really began here, as a team from "the colonies" had never before handed out thrashings of that order to any "Home Unions", let alone showed such a combination of ferocity and grace. The ball was kept in hand, and passed for the fastest to run with rather than kicked for them to chase. Shots at goal were declined in favour of spinning it wide or crashing it forward. Fear of the black jersey was born.
Other sides carried on that dominance, as teams led by the Brownlie brothers in the twenties and thirties kept our tradition of innovation alive. George Nepia is still regarded by those who remember him as the greatest player not just of that era but of all time, and set a standard of excellence for future generations of players to aspire to. Teams of New Zealand soldiers in the second World War were instrumental in bridging the gap between the two halves of the century. Most able-bodied New Zealanders enlisted for army service, but no matter which part of the world they found themselves in they would still pick sides during breaks in the fighting and play the game they loved.
The Modern Era The All Blacks had become the most feared opponent in the sport. Fierce rivalries existed between all the rugby powers, but the men wearing the black jerseys with the silver fern and delivering the formal challenge of the haka had a psychological edge on the opposition whenever they stepped onto the field.
Men like Colin Meads, Don Clarke, Waka Nathan and Wilson Whineray did nothing to dispel such thinking. The sixties were a decade where New Zealand's pre-eminence was unchallenged. Meads was a sinewy and raw-boned draft-horse of a man, whose outstanding lineout jumping complemented superb skills in open play. He was as famous for his uncompromising attitude as for these skills. Waka Nathan was a bullet off the back of the lineout or the side of the scrum, who terrorised inside backs all over the world and shared that same attitude. Don Clarke was the rock required at fullback, who never missed a tackle and, if the opposition infringed inside their own half, could be relied upon to deliver an almost guaranteed three points. Wilson Whineray commanded the respect of them all, and captained them to wins wherever they played.
All Black teams since then have proudly continued the legacy. Players like Sid Going, Bryan Williams, Ian Kirkpatrick, Fergie McCormick, Graham Mourie, Bruce Robertson, Buck Shelford, Stu Wilson, Joe Stanley, Sean Fitzpatrick, John Kirwan, Grant Fox, Michael Jones, Zinzan Brooke... all have given their heart and soul on New Zealand's behalf. The sport of rugby now has a World Cup tournament, held every four years since 1987, and New Zealand's success in only one of these so far is no real indication of our ongoing strength. The game here remains an integral part of our culture and identity as a nation, and the unchecked passion we have for the sport will ensure that the future of All Black rugby is as innovative, uncompromising, dedicated and successful as it ever was.
CEO In January 2003, Chris Moller became the CEO of the NZRFU but on April 2 2007 he announced that he will not be renewing his contract after the 2007 Rugby World Cup and that his deputy Steve Tew will take over the position[1]. Chris Moller is the current CEO of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and former deputy CEO of New Zealands largest company, Fonterra. ...
The 2007 Rugby World Cup is the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union world championship inaugurated in 1987. ...
President On April 26th 2007 at the NZRFU's Annual General Meeting former All Black Andy Leslie was elected as the successor to John Graham[2]. An Annual General Meeting, commonly abbreviated as AGM, also known as the annual meeting, is a meeting that official bodies and associations involving the public are often required by law (In what country?) to hold. ...
The All Blacks are the national rugby union representative team of New Zealand. ...
Andy Leslie, (born November 10, 1944 as Andrew Roy Leslie) is an ex-All Black captain and number eight. ...
David John Graham CBE (born January 1, 1935, in Stratford, New Zealand) is the current president of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and a former All Black loose forward who played 22 Tests between 1958 and 1964, including 3 as captain. ...
National Teams The NZRFU has several teams under its control[3]
Men - All Blacks - the national men's rugby union team of New Zealand
- Junior All Blacks - is in fact the second national team behind the All Blacks and is not an age graded side.
- Sevens - the national rugby sevens team of New Zealand. Established in 1983, when the first full international side was sent to the famous Hong Kong Sevens tournament.
- New Zealand Māori - the national men's Māori team of New Zealand. Members of this team must have at least 1/16 Māori ancestry (one great-great-grandparent).
- Under 19s - an age graded side that has developed some of today's current All Blacks, referred to as the "Baby Blacks."
- Under 21s - an age graded side that has developed some of today's current All Blacks, also referred to as the "Baby Blacks."
- Heartland XV - established in 1988 to expose players from Divisions Two and Three in the Air New Zealand NPC to rugby at a higher level. After the 2006 reorganisation of the NPC into the fully professional Air New Zealand Cup and the nominally amateur Heartland Championship, the team now consists solely of players from the Heartland Championship.
- NZ Schools - a development team of school players who move up to the Under 19s, Under 21s and ultimately the All Blacks.
First international Australia 3 - 22 New Zealand (15 August 1903) Largest win New Zealand 145 - 17 Japan (4 June 1995) Worst defeat Australia 28 - 7 New Zealand (28 August 1999) World Cup Appearances 6 (First in 1987) Best result Champions, 1987 The All Blacks are New Zealands national rugby...
The Junior All Blacks is a New Zealand rugby team. ...
The New Zealand national rugby union sevens team competes in the World Sevens Series, Rugby World Cup Sevens and the Commonwealth Games. ...
Bold text // Rugby sevens being played at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, which was held at Melbournes Telstra Dome. ...
The Hong Kong Sevens (香港七人欖çƒè³½) is generally considered the premier tournament on the World Sevens Series in Rugby Union. ...
First international Ireland 4 - 13 New Zealand MÄori (as the New Zealand Natives) (1888-12-01) Largest win United States 6 - 74 New Zealand MÄori (2006-06-07) Worst defeat New Zealand MÄori 6 - 31 Australia (1936-09-23) ...
The New Zealand Under 19s rugby team for players aged under 19 as a platform to the All Blacks. ...
The New Zealand Under 21s rugby team is for players aged under 21 as a platform for the All Blacks. ...
The Heartland XV rugby team is one of several New Zealand national representative rugby union teams, although it is at a lower level than the All Blacks (the full national side), the second-level Junior All Blacks and the New Zealand MÄori (an all-MÄori side that frequently...
The Air New Zealand Cup (also referred to by its previous name of the National Provincial Championship, its abbreviation of NPC, or for sponsorship reasons as the Air New Zealand NPC) is New Zealands professional domestic rugby union competition. ...
The Heartland Championship, known for sponsorship reasons as the AA Rewards Heartland Championship,[1] is an amateur domestic rugby union competition in New Zealand. ...
The New Zealand Schools rugby team is team for players still at school and as a platform for the Under 19s and Under 21s teams, and ultimately the All Blacks. ...
Women - Black Ferns - the national women's rugby union team of New Zealand.
The Black Ferns is New Zealands national womens rugby team. ...
Other - Wheel Blacks - the national men's wheelchair team of New Zealand.
The Wheel Blacks are a wheelchair rugby team from New Zealand. ...
Provincial Unions The NZRFU is comprised of 17 North Island Provincial Unions and 9 South Island Provincial Unions.
North Island The North Island Provincial Unions are: The Auckland Rugby Football Union is the governing body of rugby union in the Auckland isthmus territorial authority in the North Island in New Zealand. ...
The Bay of Plenty Rugby Union is the official governing body of rugby union in the region of Bay of Plenty on the North Island of New Zealand. ...
The Counties Manukau Rugby Football Union (CMRFU) is the governing body of rugby union in the Franklin district of New Zealand. ...
The East Coast Rugby Football Union is a constituent union in the New Zealand Rugby Union. ...
The Hawkes Bay Rugby Union (HBRU) is a governing body of rugby union in the Hawkes Bay region of New Zealand. ...
// The Horowhenua-Kapiti team play from Levin Domain, Levin and in the 2006 season are in Pool B of the Heartland Championship. ...
The King Country Rugby Football Union was formed in 1922. ...
Manawatu Rugby Union (MRU) is the governing body of Rugby in the Manawatu rugby province. ...
The North Harbour Rugby Union was formed in 1985 and during this time has developed a reputation for playing quality rugby football. ...
The Northland Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in the Northland region of New Zealand. ...
The Poverty Bay Rugby Football Union was formed in 1890. ...
Taranaki Rugby Football Union (TRFU) is the governing body of Rugby in the New Zealand province of Taranaki. ...
The Thames Valley Rugby Football Union was formed in 1921 when it broke away from the Auckland Rugby Football Union. ...
The Waikato Rugby Union is the official governing body of rugby union in the region of Waikato on the North Island of New Zealand. ...
The Wairarapa Bush Rugby Football Union was formed in 1971 with the amalgamation of the Wairarapa Rugby Football Union and Bush Rugby Football Union. ...
The Wanganui Rugby Football Union was formed in 1888. ...
The Wellington Rugby Football Union (WRFU) is the official governing body of rugby union in the city of Wellington, the capital of New Zealand. ...
South Island The South Island Provincial Unions are: The Buller Rugby Football Union (BRFU) is a rugby province based in Westport, New Zealand. ...
The Canterbury Rugby Football Union (CRFU) is the official governing body for rugby union in a substantial part of the Canterbury region of New Zealand,and is affiliated to the New Zealand Rugby Football Union. ...
The Mid Canterbury Rugby Football Union (MCRFU) is a rugby province in the South Island of New Zealand. ...
The North Otago Rugby Football Union (NORFU) is a rugby province based in the south central South Island, based around Oamaru, New Zealand. ...
...
// The South Canterbury Rugby Football Union (SCRFU) was formed in 1888 when it broke away from the Canterbury Rugby Football Union. ...
The Southland Stags rugby team represents the Southland province in the Air New Zealand Cup, also known as the Premier Division of the National Provincial Championship. ...
The Tasman Rugby Union is New Zealands newest provincial union. ...
// [edit] History The West Coast Rugby Football Union was formed in 1890. ...
High School Rugby The Press Cup is a High School Rugby union competition in the Crusaders Region of New Zealand. ...
References - ^ Moller to step down
- ^ Leslie named NZRU President
- ^ New Zealand Teams
External links - the official home of the New Zealand Rugby Union and the All Blacks
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