New Zealand national rugby union team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
New Zealand

Nickname(s)	All Blacks
Emblem	Silver-fern frond
Union	New Zealand Rugby
Head coach	Scott Robertson
Captain	Scott Barrett
Most caps	Sam Whitelock (153)
Top scorer	Dan Carter (1,598)
Top try scorer	Doug Howlett (49)
First colours Second colours
World Rugby ranking
Current	2 (as of 10 March 2025)
Highest	1 (2003, 2004–2008, 2009–2019, 2021)
Lowest	5 (2022)
First international
Australia 3–22 New Zealand  (Sydney, Australia; 15 August 1903)
Biggest win
New Zealand 145–17 Japan  (Bloemfontein, South Africa; 4 June 1995)
Biggest defeat
South Africa 35–7 New Zealand  (London, England; 25 August 2023)
World Cup
Appearances	10 (First in 1987)
Best result	Champions (1987, 2011, 2015)

The New Zealand national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, is New Zealand's national men's team for rugby union. Rugby is a very popular sport in New Zealand, almost like a national passion! The All Blacks are famous worldwide for being one of the most successful sports teams ever.

They have won the Rugby World Cup three times: in 1987, 2011, and 2015. They were the first team to win the World Cup two times in a row! Since their first international game in 1903, the All Blacks have played against 19 different countries. A remarkable 12 of these countries have never beaten them. New Zealand has won about 76% of their international matches, showing how strong they are. They have won more games than they have lost against every team they've played.

The All Blacks play in the Rugby Championship against teams from Argentina, Australia, and South Africa. They have won this championship many times, showing their dominance in the Southern Hemisphere. They have also achieved a "Grand Slam" four times, which means beating England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales all in one tour. World Rugby has named New Zealand the Team of the Year ten times, and an All Black player has won the Player of the Year award ten times too. Many former All Blacks are even in the World Rugby Hall of Fame.

The team's very first match was in 1884 in Australia. Their first official international game was in 1903 against Australia. The next year, New Zealand played their first home international game in Wellington. In 1905, they went on a big tour of Europe and North America, playing 34 games. They only lost one game on that tour, which was against Wales.

At first, New Zealand's uniform was a black jersey with a silver fern and white shorts. By the 1905 tour, they were wearing all black, except for the silver fern. This is when the famous name "All Blacks" started to be used.

Before every match, the team performs a haka. This is a special Māori challenge or dance. The All Blacks traditionally use the Ka Mate haka. Since 2005, they sometimes perform a different haka called Kapa o Pango for special games.

The All Blacks Story

How Rugby Started in New Zealand

Rugby union, often just called "rugby" in New Zealand, came to the country in 1870. A person named Charles Monro learned about the sport while studying in England. The first recorded rugby game in New Zealand happened in May 1870 in Nelson. It was played between the Nelson rugby club and Nelson College.

The first local rugby group, the Canterbury Rugby Football Union, was formed in 1879. New Zealand's first international games were in 1882 when a team from New South Wales, Australia, visited. This Australian team played against seven local New Zealand teams. Two years later, the first New Zealand team traveled overseas to New South Wales and won all eight of their games.

A British team, which later became the British & Irish Lions, toured New Zealand in 1888. They played only against local teams, not a New Zealand national team.

First Steps in International Rugby

In 1892, the New Zealand Rugby Football Union (NZRFU) was created. The first official New Zealand team toured New South Wales in 1893. This team, led by Thomas Ellison, won nine out of ten matches. The next year, New Zealand played its first home international game, losing to New South Wales.

The team's first true international test match was against Australia on August 15, 1903, in Sydney. New Zealand won this exciting game 22–3.

A New Zealand team first toured the British Isles in 1905. This team is now known as the "Originals". The name "All Blacks" became popular during this tour. Some say a London newspaper mistakenly wrote "All Blacks" instead of "all backs." However, it's more likely they were called the "Blacks" because of their black uniforms even before the tour. The tour certainly made the name famous!

The Originals played 35 matches on their tour. Their only loss was a close 0–3 game against Wales. This match is still talked about in both countries. Some people complained that the All Blacks didn't play in the "gentlemanly" spirit that rugby was supposed to have back then.

In 1907, some professional players formed a team to tour the British Isles and play rugby league. This was a new, professional version of rugby union. When these players, known as the "All Golds", returned, they helped start rugby league in New Zealand. Many players switched to this professional sport. To encourage amateur rugby, an Anglo-Welsh team toured New Zealand in 1908. New Zealand won the series 2–0, with one game ending in a 3–3 draw.

Building a Rugby Legacy

International rugby stopped during the First World War. After the war, a New Zealand Services team played in Europe and then toured South Africa. This trip led to a South African team, known as the Springboks, touring New Zealand in 1921. Their test series ended in a tie. New Zealand's return tour to South Africa in 1928 also ended in a tie.

The 1924 All Blacks team that toured the British Isles and France was called "the Invincibles" because they won every single game! They almost achieved a "grand slam," but Scotland refused to play them. The first British Isles team since 1908 toured New Zealand in 1930. The Lions won the first game, but New Zealand came back to win the series 3–1.

New Zealand toured the British Isles again in 1935–36, losing only three games out of 30. In one of these losses, Alexander Obolensky scored two famous tries to help England win 13–0, their first victory over New Zealand.

In 1937, South Africa toured New Zealand and won the test series. This 1937 South African team was considered one of the best to ever leave New Zealand. New Zealand didn't play the Springboks again until 1949.

In 1949, two New Zealand teams played at the same time. Due to policies at the time, Māori players could not go to South Africa. So, one All Blacks team played in South Africa, while another New Zealand team (made up of Māori and other players) played against Australia at home. This was a tough year for the All Blacks, as they lost all six of their test matches.

The two losses to South Africa made their 1956 tour of New Zealand very exciting. New Zealand won the series 3–1, their first series win over the Springboks. During this series, New Zealand introduced Don Clarke and brought back Kevin Skinner to help secure the win.

New Zealand's 3–1 series win over the Lions in 1959 started a very strong period for the All Blacks. Between 1965 and 1970, they had their longest winning streak of 17 test victories. This was the longest winning streak by any nation at the time.

New Zealand then lost the 1970 away series in South Africa. In 1971, the Lions team, led by John Dawes, beat New Zealand in a test series. This remains the Lions' only series victory in New Zealand. The 1972–73 tour was notable because a player, Keith Murdoch, was sent home after an incident in a hotel.

In 1978, Graham Mourie led New Zealand to their first Grand Slam. This included a 13–12 win over Wales, which came after a controversial penalty. The team's only loss on that tour was a famous 12–0 defeat by the Irish team Munster.

Challenges and Changes

For the 1960 All Blacks tour of South Africa, the South African authorities insisted that Māori players not be included. This caused a lot of discussion. The New Zealand Rugby Union refused other tours to South Africa for 10 years until 1970, when Māori players were allowed to join.

The 1976 All Blacks tour of South Africa also caused much discussion. It led to 33 African nations boycotting the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. New Zealand did not win the test series in South Africa again until 1996.

The 1981 South African tour to New Zealand sparked many protests against South Africa's policies. The country experienced some unrest during the tour. In one famous game, a small plane dropped flour bombs onto the field!

A planned 1985 All Blacks tour to South Africa was cancelled due to legal reasons. In 1986, a group of players went on an unauthorized tour to South Africa. This team was called the Cavaliers. Those who participated were banned for two games when they returned to New Zealand.

World Cup Adventures Begin

New Zealand hosted and won the very first Rugby World Cup in 1987. They beat France 29–9 in the final. New Zealand scored 43 tries and only allowed 52 points in six games on their way to the title.

Around 1990, some top players chose to play rugby league, a different professional sport. By the 1991 World Cup, New Zealand was an older team. They lost to eventual winners Australia 16–6 in the semi-final. After the tournament, many players and the coach retired.

Laurie Mains became the new coach in 1992. He prepared the team for the 1995 World Cup in South Africa. New Zealand was a favorite to win. Their chances looked even better when a young Jonah Lomu scored four tries against England in the semi-final. They played hosts South Africa in the final, losing 12–15 in extra time.

Rugby Becomes Professional

Rugby union became a professional sport in 1995. This happened when the SANZAR group (South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia) was formed. Their goal was to sell TV rights for two new competitions: the Super 12 and the Tri-Nations. New Zealand won the first Tri-Nations in 1996. Under new coach John Hart, New Zealand won a test series in South Africa for the first time that year.

The next few seasons had mixed results. New Zealand won all their Tri-Nations games in 1997 but lost the title in 1998. In 1998, they lost all five Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup games. In 1999, they had their worst test loss, 7–28 to Australia. At the 1999 World Cup later that year, the All Blacks won their pool easily. They beat Scotland in the quarter-finals but then lost to France 43–31 in the semi-final. Hart then resigned as coach.

John Mitchell became the new coach in 2001. He led New Zealand to win the Tri-Nations in both 2002 and 2003. They also won back the Bledisloe Cup in 2003. Despite losing to England earlier in the year, the All Blacks were favorites for the 2003 World Cup. They won their pool games and beat South Africa in the quarter-final. However, they lost to Australia 10–22 in the semi-final. After this, the NZRU ended Mitchell's contract, and Graham Henry became the new coach.

The Henry Years: A Winning Streak

Graham Henry started as coach with two big wins over England in 2004. The All Blacks won the Tri-Nations in 2005 and achieved their second Grand Slam since 1978. They also won many awards, including Team of the Year. The British & Irish Lions toured New Zealand in 2005. New Zealand won all three games easily.

In 2006, they won the Tri-Nations again and had an unbeaten tour in Europe. New Zealand was named IRB Team of the Year again. The 2007 season started with big wins over France and Canada. New Zealand won the Tri-Nations again. They entered the 2007 Rugby World Cup as favorites but lost to hosts France in the quarter-finals. Despite the loss, Graham Henry was reappointed as coach.

The 2008 season saw New Zealand win all three mid-year tests. They won their first Tri-Nations game against South Africa but lost to them a week later, ending a 30-match winning streak at home. They went on to win the Bledisloe Cup and the Tri-Nations.

In 2009, the All Blacks lost to France in their first game but won the second. They finished second in the Tri-Nations. In 2010, the All Blacks won the Tri-Nations for the tenth time and kept the Bledisloe Cup. They had an unbeaten streak of 15 matches.

Despite losing the 2011 Tri-Nations, they were still favorites for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. The All Blacks won all their pool matches. After beating Argentina and Australia, they faced France in the final. New Zealand won a very close game 8–7. Henry stepped down as coach after the World Cup, and his assistant Steve Hansen took over.

The Hansen Years: More Trophies

The Tri-Nations competition grew in 2012 to include Argentina and was renamed The Rugby Championship. The All Blacks were undefeated in this first tournament. In 2013, New Zealand became the first rugby nation in the professional era to win every test match in a calendar year.

At the 2014 Rugby Championship, the All Blacks drew with Australia and lost to South Africa in away games, but still won the tournament. In the shorter 2015 Rugby Championship, they were runners-up but kept the Bledisloe Cup. The team entered the 2015 Rugby World Cup and won all their pool matches. They beat France 62–13 in the quarter-finals, South Africa 20–18 in the semi-finals, and Australia 34–17 in the final. This made them the first nation to win the World Cup two times in a row and the first to win it three times!

The All Blacks were undefeated in the 2016 Rugby Championship. However, in late 2016, they lost to Ireland for the first time ever after 111 years of playing them. New Zealand got revenge by beating Ireland in Dublin two weeks later.

In 2017, the British & Irish Lions toured New Zealand. The series ended in a 1–1–1 draw. New Zealand won the first game, the Lions won the second, and the final game was a tie. The All Blacks went undefeated in the Rugby Championship and kept the Bledisloe Cup. In October, they had a surprise loss to Australia.

At the start of the 2018 season, the All Blacks beat France 3–0. They won their first Rugby Championship games against Australia to keep the Bledisloe Cup. They then beat Argentina but lost at home to South Africa for the first time since 2009. They later beat South Africa in a thrilling comeback. They also beat Australia again to keep the Bledisloe Cup. Their tour to Europe was tough, with a close win over England and a second loss ever to Ireland.

2019 was a mixed year. They had a close win over Argentina and a draw against South Africa. Then, they suffered their joint worst loss ever to Australia. However, they bounced back with a big win over Australia to keep the Bledisloe Cup.

The 2019 Rugby World Cup saw New Zealand beat South Africa, Canada, and Namibia in their pool. In the quarter-final, they dominated Ireland. However, their journey ended in the semi-finals with a 7–19 loss to England. This was their first World Cup defeat in 20 matches over twelve years. New Zealand finished by winning the bronze medal against Wales. Steve Hansen retired after the World Cup, and Ian Foster was appointed as the new coach.

The Foster Years: New Challenges

2020 Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Rugby Championship was cancelled. Instead, a Tri-Nations tournament was held. New Zealand secured the Bledisloe Cup with a big win over Australia. However, they then lost to Australia and, for the first time ever, to Argentina. This was also the first time they had lost two test matches in a row since 2011. The All Blacks won the Tri-Nations after beating Argentina. They finished 2020 with three wins, two losses, and one draw.

2021 The All Blacks started 2021 with big wins over Tonga and Fiji. They then beat Australia three times to keep the Bledisloe Cup. They also defeated Argentina twice. Against South Africa, they won one game and lost one. They kept the Freedom Cup and won the Rugby Championship. On their tour to the Northern Hemisphere, they won three games but then lost two in a row against Ireland and France. This was the first time since 1998 that they ended their season with two straight defeats.

2022 In July 2022, the All Blacks played a 3-Test Match Series against Ireland at home. They won the first game but then lost the next two. This was the first time Ireland had beaten the All Blacks in New Zealand in a series. This also marked the third season in a row that the All Blacks lost back-to-back test matches, leading to changes in their coaching team. They started the Rugby Championship with a loss to South Africa, their third loss in a row. However, they bounced back with a win against South Africa to keep the Freedom Cup. They then lost to Argentina for the first time in New Zealand but won the next game easily. They also beat Australia twice to keep the Bledisloe Cup. On their end-of-year tour, they won against Japan, Wales, and Scotland, but drew against England. They finished 2022 with eight wins, four losses, and one draw, their worst record since 1998.

2023 In 2023, the All Blacks won the shorter Rugby Championship by beating Argentina, South Africa, and Australia. They kept both the Freedom Cup and the Bledisloe Cup. In a warm-up game in London, the All Blacks lost to South Africa 7–35, which was their biggest defeat ever in their 120-year history. At the 2023 Rugby World Cup, the All Blacks lost their first-ever pool stage game to host nation France. However, they defeated all other teams in their pool to reach the quarter-finals. They beat Ireland in the quarter-finals and Argentina in the semi-finals. But they lost to South Africa 11–12 in the final, who became the first nation to win four World Cups. This marked the end of the Ian Foster era.

The Robertson Era Begins

On March 21, 2023, Scott Robertson was named the new All Blacks Head Coach, starting in 2024. He officially began his role on November 1, 2023, after the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

2024 Robertson's first game as head coach was against England in 2024, which his team won 16–15. A week later, they beat England again 24–17. The All Blacks then traveled to San Diego, California, and defeated Fiji 47–5. In the 2024 Rugby Championship, they had a 3–3 record. They split their games against Argentina, lost both games to South Africa, and won both games against Australia. On their Northern end-of-year tour, they beat Japan, England (sweeping them 3–0 for the year), and Ireland. They lost to France but bounced back to defeat Italy. In 2024, Scott Robertson had a record of 10 wins and 4 losses in his first season.

Team Uniform

The current New Zealand jersey is black and fits closely to the body. It features the sponsors' logos and the NZRU silver fern on the chest. The team has not always worn all black. During their 1884 tour of Australia, they wore a dark blue jersey with a gold fern. In 1893, the New Zealand Rugby Union decided the uniform would be a black jersey with a silver fern and white shorts. By 1901, the team wore an all-black uniform for the first time.

In 2006, New Zealand wore a special remembrance poppy on their jersey sleeve during a game against France. This poppy honors the ANZAC soldiers who died in battle. Captain Richie McCaw said, "We want to honor the overseas service of New Zealanders. It is an important part of our history as a country and a team."

During the 2011 Rugby World Cup, the All Blacks' jerseys had an image of the Webb Ellis Cup embroidered on the sleeve. Below it was the year '1987' to show their previous World Cup win. Other teams that had won the cup before also had similar details on their jerseys.

Who Makes the Jerseys?

Canterbury made New Zealand's kits from 1924 until 1999. Then, Adidas became the official supplier. In 2003, Adidas renewed their contract, and in 2008, this deal was extended even further.

Period	Kit manufacturer
1924–1999	Canterbury
1999–present	Adidas

Who Sponsors the Team?

Steinlager was the first sponsor to appear on the All Blacks' jersey, from 1994 to 1999. In 2012, AIG became the main sponsor on the front of the jersey. AIG extended this sponsorship until 2021. After AIG, the Altrad Group became the new main sponsor of the All Blacks starting in 2022.

The Haka: A Powerful Tradition

The All Blacks perform a haka (a Māori challenge or dance) before every international match. This tradition has been part of New Zealand rugby since the 1888 and 1889 tours. The 1905 All Blacks started the tradition of using Ka Mate, a haka created in the 19th century by Te Rauparaha. While Ka Mate is traditional, players have also performed Kapa o Pango since 2005. This new haka was made to show the many different cultures in New Zealand today.

In November 2006, the All Blacks performed the haka in their dressing room before a game in Wales. This happened because they disagreed with the Welsh Rugby Union about when the haka should be performed. In 2008, when New Zealand played Munster, Munster's New Zealand players performed their own haka before the All Blacks started theirs! On the same tour, Wales responded to the haka by standing silently and staring at the All Blacks until the referee told them to start the game.

All Blacks Records

Amazing Achievements

Men's World Rugby Rankings
Top 20 rankings as of 12 July, 2021
Rank	Change*	Team	Points
1		South Africa	094.20
2		New Zealand	088.95
3		England	085.44
4		Ireland	084.85
5	2	Australia	083.90
6	1	France	083.45
7	1	Wales	082.82
8		Scotland	082.02
9		Argentina	080.92
10		Japan	079.13
11		Fiji	076.87
12		Georgia	073.73
13	1	Samoa	071.88
14	1	Italy	070.65
15	2	Tonga	070.28
16		United States	068.10
17		Uruguay	067.02
18		Romania	066.22
19		Spain	064.82
20	1	Portugal	063.90
21	1	Russia	062.71
22		Hong Kong	061.23
23		Canada	061.11
24		Netherlands	059.30
25		Namibia	059.04
26		Brazil	056.32
27		Belgium	056.16
28	1	Chile	055.20
28	1	Switzerland	054.12
30		Germany	053.13
*Change from the previous week
New Zealand's historical rankings
Source: World Rugby - Graph updated to 19 July 2021

New Zealand has only been beaten by seven other test nations and two combined teams. They are the only international team to have a winning record against every nation they have played. They have won 502 out of 653 test matches, and have lost at home only 42 times. Since World Rankings began in 2003, New Zealand has been ranked number one for most of the time.

New Zealand's longest winning streak is 18 test victories, which is a world record for top-tier nations. This happened between 2015 and 2016. In 2013, they won every test they played in a single year. The All Blacks also hold the record for most consecutive home test wins, with 47 victories between 2009 and 2017.

Their total points scored in tests is 18,744, with 9,036 points scored against them (updated July 19, 2025). Many national rugby union teams have had their biggest losses when playing against New Zealand. For example, Japan lost 145–17 in 1995, and South Africa lost 57–0. The All Blacks' largest test win was 145–17 against Japan in 1995. Their heaviest loss was 7–35 to South Africa in 2023.

Below is a summary of New Zealand's test results (updated July 19, 2025):

Opponent	Played	Won	Lost	Drawn	Win%	For	Aga	Diff
Argentina	39	35	3	1	89.74%	1,506	554	+952
Australia	179	126	45	8	70.39%	3,992	2,604	+1,388
British & Irish Lions	41	30	7	4	73.17%	700	399	+301
Canada	6	6	0	0	100%	376	54	+322
England	46	36	8	2	78.26%	1,081	673	+408
Fiji	8	8	0	0	100%	528	91	+437
France	67	51	15	1	76.12%	1,781	961	+820
Georgia	1	1	0	0	100%	43	10	+33
Ireland	38	32	5	1	84.21%	1,064	529	+535
Italy	17	17	0	0	100%	992	168	+824
Japan	6	6	0	0	100%	453	111	+342
Namibia	3	3	0	0	100%	200	26	+174
Pacific Islanders	1	1	0	0	100%	41	26	+15
Portugal	1	1	0	0	100%	108	13	+95
Romania	2	2	0	0	100%	99	14	+85
Samoa	7	7	0	0	100%	411	72	+339
Scotland	32	30	0	2	93.75%	953	372	+581
South Africa	108	62	42	4	57.41%	2,235	1,789	+446
Tonga	7	7	0	0	100%	520	42	+478
United States	4	4	0	0	100%	275	29	+246
Uruguay	1	1	0	0	100%	73	0	+73
Wales	37	34	3	0	91.89%	1,219	430	+789
World XV	3	2	1	0	66.67%	94	69	+25
Total	654	502	129	23	76.76%	18,744	9,036	+9,708

World Cup Success

Rugby World Cup
Year	Round	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	Squad
1987	Champions	6	6	0	0	298	52	Squad
1991	Third place	6	5	0	1	143	74	Squad
1995	Runners-up	6	5	0	1	327	119	Squad
1999	Fourth place	6	4	0	2	255	111	Squad
2003	Third place	7	6	0	1	361	101	Squad
2007	Quarter-finals	5	4	0	1	327	55	Squad
2011	Champions	7	7	0	0	301	72	Squad
2015	Champions	7	7	0	0	290	97	Squad
2019	Third place	6	5	0	1	250	72	Squad
2023
Total	Champions	56	49	0	7	2552	753
Champions       Runners-up       Third place       Fourth place Home venue

New Zealand has won the World Cup three times. They won the first-ever competition in 1987, then again in 2011 (which they hosted), and most recently in 2015. This made them the first team to win the World Cup two times in a row!

In 1991, they lost in the semi-finals but finished third. In 1995, they reached the final but lost in extra time. They finished fourth in 1999 and third in 2003. The 2007 World Cup was their worst performance, as they lost in the quarter-finals. In 2019, they lost in the semi-finals but won the third-place game. In 2023, the All Blacks lost in the final. They had won every World Cup pool match they had played until September 8, 2023, when they lost to France.

New Zealand holds several World Cup records. These include most World Cup matches played (63), most points in one match (145 against Japan in 1995), and most tries overall (396). Many individual players also hold World Cup records, like Jonah Lomu for most World Cup tries (15), and Marc Ellis for most tries in a single match (6).

Southern Hemisphere Champions

New Zealand's main yearly tournament is against the top teams from the Southern Hemisphere. From 1996 to 2011, they played in the Tri Nations against Australia and South Africa. In 2012, Argentina joined, and the competition was renamed The Rugby Championship. New Zealand has won this tournament 20 times, which is more than any other team. The Bledisloe Cup is played between New Zealand and Australia, and the Freedom Cup is played between New Zealand and South Africa, as part of these competitions.

Tri Nations (1996–2011; 2020)
Nation	Matches				Points			Bonus points	Table points	Titles won
	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD
New Zealand	76	52	0	24	2,054	1,449	+605	35	243	11
Australia	76	30	3	43	1,591	1,817	−226	34	160	3
South Africa	72	28	1	43	1,480	1,831	−351	24	138	3
Argentina	4	1	2	1	56	84	–28	0	8	0
Source:  lassen.co.nz – Tri-Nations, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa Bonus points given by T – 4W − 2D, for T table points, W games won and D games drawn.

Rugby Championship (since 2012)
Nation	Matches				Points			Bonus points	Table points	Titles won
	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD
New Zealand	54	45	2	7	1,865	1,020	+876	34	219	8
Australia	54	25	3	26	1,254	1,445	−183	12	126	1
South Africa	54	26	4	24	1,364	1,221	+163	25	137	1
Argentina	54	7	1	46	969	1,774	−828	11	42	0
Updated: 25 September 2022 Source:  lassen.co.nz – TRC, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa Bonus points given by T – 4W − 2D, for T table points, W games won and D games drawn.

All-time Tri Nations and Rugby Championship Table (since 1996)
Nation	Matches				Points			Bonus points	Table points	Titles won
	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD
New Zealand	130	97	2	31	3,919	2,469	+1,481	69	462	19
Australia	130	55	6	69	2,845	3,262	−409	46	286	4
South Africa	126	54	5	67	2,844	3,052	−514	49	275	4
Argentina	58	8	3	47	1,025	1,858	−856	11	50	0
Updated: 25 September 2022 Bonus points given by T – 4W − 2D, for T table points, W games won and D games drawn.

Series Played Against Other Teams

New Zealand's home and away series' played total
Team	Series stats					Home Series	Away Series
	P	W	D	L	%
Argentina	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00	&&&&&&&&&&&&0100.&&&&&0100.000	1989, 1997	1985, 1991
Australia	&&&&&&&&&&&&&031.&&&&&031	&&&&&&&&&&&&&024.&&&&&024	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06	&&&&&&&&&&&&&077.42000077.42	1913, 1936, 1946, 1949, 1952, 1955, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1972, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990	1907, 1910, 1914, 1929, 1932, 1934, 1938, 1947, 1951, 1957, 1962, 1968, 1974, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992
British & Irish Lions	&&&&&&&&&&&&&012.&&&&&012	&&&&&&&&&&&&&010.&&&&&010	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	&&&&&&&&&&&&&083.33000083.33	1904, 1908, 1930, 1950, 1959, 1966, 1971, 1977, 1983, 1993, 2005, 2017
England	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.&&&&&08	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.&&&&&08	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00	&&&&&&&&&&&&0100.&&&&&0100.000	1963, 1985, 1998, 2004, 2008, 2014, 2024	1997
Fiji	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00	&&&&&&&&&&&&0100.&&&&&0100.000	2021
France	&&&&&&&&&&&&&018.&&&&&018	&&&&&&&&&&&&&011.&&&&&011	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	&&&&&&&&&&&&&061.11000061.11	1961, 1968, 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994, 2007, 2009, 2013, 2018, 2025	1977, 1981, 1986, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2006
Ireland	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	&&&&&&&&&&&&&080.&&&&&080.00	1992, 2002, 2006, 2012, 2022
Scotland	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00	&&&&&&&&&&&&0100.&&&&&0100.000	1981, 1990, 1996, 2000
South Africa	&&&&&&&&&&&&&012.&&&&&012	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05	&&&&&&&&&&&&&041.67000041.67	1921, 1937, 1956, 1965, 1981, 1994	1928, 1949, 1960, 1970, 1976, 1996
Wales	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00	&&&&&&&&&&&&0100.&&&&&0100.000	1969, 1988, 2010, 2016
World XV	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00	&&&&&&&&&&&&0100.&&&&&0100.000	1992
Total	&&&&&&&&&&&&0100.&&&&&0100	&&&&&&&&&&&&&076.&&&&&076	&&&&&&&&&&&&&010.&&&&&010	&&&&&&&&&&&&&014.&&&&&014	&&&&&&&&&&&&&076.&&&&&076.00	Years
Team	Series stats
	P	W	D	L	%
• Bold text denotes series was won by New Zealand  • Italic text denotes series was drawn

Meet the Players

Our Current Team

On June 23, 2025, New Zealand announced a 33-player team for the 2025 July series against France.

Christian Lio-Willie and Emoni Narawa were added to the team as injury cover.

On June 27, 2025, Christian Lio-Willie replaced Wallace Sititi in the team after Sititi got a high ankle injury. Dalton Papali'i was also called in to cover for Luke Jacobson.

On June 30, 2025, George Bower joined the team to replace Tamaiti Williams, who had a knee injury.

On July 8, 2025, Scott Barrett was ruled out of the July series due to a calf injury.

On July 11, 2025, Caleb Clarke was ruled out due to a high ankle injury. Emoni Narawa replaced him in the team.

Head Coach: Scott Robertson

Caps Updated: 19 July 2025 (After New Zealand v France third test)

Player	Position	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Franchise / province
McAlister, BrodieBrodie McAlister	Hooker	(1997-06-17) 17 June 1997 (age 28)	1	Chiefs / Canterbury
Taylor, CodieCodie Taylor	Hooker	(1991-03-31) 31 March 1991 (age 34)	98	Crusaders / Canterbury
Taukei'aho, SamisoniSamisoni Taukei'aho	Hooker	(1997-08-08) 8 August 1997 (age 28)	33	Chiefs / Waikato
Bower, GeorgeGeorge Bower	Prop	(1992-05-28) 28 May 1992 (age 33)	23	Crusaders / Otago
de Groot, EthanEthan de Groot	Prop	(1998-07-22) 22 July 1998 (age 27)	32	Highlanders / Southland
Lomax, TyrelTyrel Lomax	Prop	(1996-03-16) 16 March 1996 (age 29)	45	Hurricanes / Tasman
Newell, FletcherFletcher Newell	Prop	(2000-02-01) 1 February 2000 (age 25)	25	Crusaders / Canterbury
Norris, OllieOllie Norris	Prop	(1999-12-11) 11 December 1999 (age 25)	2	Chiefs / Waikato
Tosi, PasilioPasilio Tosi	Prop	(1998-07-18) 18 July 1998 (age 27)	9	Hurricanes / Bay of Plenty
Holland, FabianFabian Holland	Lock	(2002-10-09) 9 October 2002 (age 22)	3	Highlanders / Otago
Tuipulotu, PatrickPatrick Tuipulotu	Lock	(1993-01-23) 23 January 1993 (age 32)	53	Blues / Auckland
Vaa'i, TupouTupou Vaa'i	Lock	(2000-01-27) 27 January 2000 (age 25)	40	Chiefs / Taranaki
Finau, SamipeniSamipeni Finau	Loose forward	(1999-05-10) 10 May 1999 (age 26)	11	Chiefs / Waikato
Jacobson, LukeLuke Jacobson	Loose forward	(1997-04-20) 20 April 1997 (age 28)	24	Chiefs / Waikato
Kirifi, Du'PlessisDu'Plessis Kirifi	Loose forward	(1997-03-03) 3 March 1997 (age 28)	3	Hurricanes / Wellington
Papali'i, DaltonDalton Papali'i	Loose forward	(1997-10-11) 11 October 1997 (age 27)	37	Blues / Counties Manukau
Lio-Willie, ChristianChristian Lio-Willie	Loose forward	(1998-08-26) 26 August 1998 (age 26)	2	Crusaders / Otago
Savea, ArdieArdie Savea	Loose forward	(1993-10-14) 14 October 1993 (age 31)	97	Moana Pasifika / Wellington
Hotham, NoahNoah Hotham	Half-back	(2003-05-23) 23 May 2003 (age 22)	2	Crusaders / Tasman
Ratima, CortezCortez Ratima	Half-back	(2001-03-22) 22 March 2001 (age 24)	14	Chiefs / Waikato
Roigard, CamCam Roigard	Half-back	(2000-11-16) 16 November 2000 (age 24)	12	Hurricanes / Counties Manukau
Barrett, BeaudenBeauden Barrett	First five-eighth	(1991-05-27) 27 May 1991 (age 34)	136	Blues / Taranaki
McKenzie, DamianDamian McKenzie	First five-eighth	(1995-04-20) 20 April 1995 (age 30)	64	Chiefs / Waikato
Barrett, JordieJordie Barrett	Centre	(1997-02-17) 17 February 1997 (age 28)	71	Hurricanes / Taranaki
Ioane, RiekoRieko Ioane	Centre	(1997-03-18) 18 March 1997 (age 28)	83	Blues / Auckland
Lienert-Brown, AntonAnton Lienert-Brown	Centre	(1995-04-15) 15 April 1995 (age 30)	85	Chiefs / Waikato
Proctor, BillyBilly Proctor	Centre	(1999-05-14) 14 May 1999 (age 26)	4	Hurricanes / Wellington
Tavatavanawai, TimociTimoci Tavatavanawai	Centre	(1997-02-14) 14 February 1997 (age 28)	2	Highlanders / Tasman
Tupaea, QuinnQuinn Tupaea	Centre	(1999-05-10) 10 May 1999 (age 26)	16	Chiefs / Waikato
Narawa, EmoniEmoni Narawa	Wing	(1999-07-13) 13 July 1999 (age 26)	3	Chiefs / Bay of Plenty
Reece, SevuSevu Reece	Wing	(1997-02-13) 13 February 1997 (age 28)	34	Crusaders / Southland
Jordan, WillWill Jordan	Fullback	(1998-02-24) 24 February 1998 (age 27)	44	Crusaders / Tasman
Love, RubenRuben Love	Fullback	(2001-04-28) 28 April 2001 (age 24)	2	Hurricanes / Wellington

Legendary All Blacks

Many former All Blacks have been honored in the World Rugby Hall of Fame. These include Sir Fred Allen, Dan Carter, Sean Fitzpatrick, Jonah Lomu, and Richie McCaw.

Joe Warbrick played for New Zealand in 1884. He is best known for leading the 1888–89 New Zealand Native football team. This team was the first New Zealand team to wear black uniforms and perform a haka.

Dave Gallaher played in New Zealand's first test match in 1903 and was captain of the 1905 Originals. George Nēpia was only 19 when he played in all 30 games of the "Invincibles" tour in 1924–25.

Sir Fred Allen was captain for all 21 of his matches for New Zealand between 1946 and 1949. He later coached New Zealand from 1966 to 1968, and the team won all 14 of their test matches under his coaching.

Five Hall of Fame players from the 1960s include Don Clarke, who broke the record for All Black test points. Sir Wilson Whineray captained New Zealand in 30 of his 32 tests. New Zealand lost only four games with him as captain. Sir Colin Meads, nicknamed Pinetree, played 133 games for New Zealand. He was named the New Zealand player of the century in 1999. Ian Kirkpatrick played 39 tests and scored 16 tries, a record at the time.

Graham Mourie captained 19 of his 21 tests between 1976 and 1982. In 1978, he led the first All Blacks team to complete a Grand Slam.

The 1987 World Cup champions were coached by Sir Brian Lochore. Four players from that winning team are also in the Hall of Fame. Sir John Kirwan scored 35 tries in 63 tests, an All Blacks record at the time.

Grant Fox was one of New Zealand's top point-scorers with 1067 points. Michael Jones was known as one of the greatest open-side flankers. Due to his Christian faith, he chose not to play on Sundays.

For many years, Sean Fitzpatrick held the record for most test caps with 92 appearances. He became All Blacks captain in 1992.

Jonah Lomu is often seen as the first true global superstar of rugby union. He was the youngest player to play a test for the All Blacks, making his debut at 19. Lomu was very tall and heavy for a back player, but he was incredibly fast. He became famous at the 1995 Rugby World Cup, scoring seven tries. Four of those tries came in the semi-final win over England, including a famous try where he ran right through opponents. Even though he played with a serious kidney condition that affected his career, he scored 37 tries in 63 tests.

Top Player Records

The record for most test points for New Zealand, and for any nation, belongs to Dan Carter with 1,598 points from 112 tests. He also holds the record for points against Australia with 366.

The All Blacks' record test try scorer is Doug Howlett with 49 tries. Joe Rokocoko holds the world record for tries in a calendar year, with 17 in 2003. He was also the first All Black to score at least two tries in four games in a row.

The player with the most test caps for the All Blacks is Sam Whitelock with 153 caps. The record for most tests as captain is held by Richie McCaw with 110. The youngest All Black in a test match was Jonah Lomu, at 19 years and 45 days old. The oldest test player was Ned Hughes at 40 years and 123 days.

Award-Winning Players

The following New Zealand players have been recognized at the World Rugby Awards since 2001:

World Rugby Try of the Year

Year	Date	Scorer	Match	Tournament
2013	15 June	Beauden Barrett	vs. France	Summer Test Series
2015	17 October	Julian Savea	vs. France	Rugby World Cup
2018	18 August	Brodie Retallick	vs. Australia	Rugby Championship
2019	6 October	TJ Perenara	vs. Namibia	Rugby World Cup

Coaching the All Blacks

This table lists every head coach of the All Blacks since 1949. All All Black head coaches have been from New Zealand. Scott Robertson is the current head coach, starting in 2024.

Name	Years	Tests	Won	Lost	Draw	Win %	All Black No.
Alex McDonald	1949	4	0	4	0	0%	128
Tom Morrison	1950, 55–56	12	8	3	1	66.7%	441
Len Clode	1951	3	3	0	0	100%	-
Arthur Marslin	1953–1954	5	3	2	0	60%	-
Dick Everest	1957	2	2	0	0	100%	-
Jack Sullivan	1958–1960	11	6	4	1	54.5%	428
Neil McPhail	1961–1965	20	16	2	2	80%	-
Ron Bush	1962	2	2	0	0	100%	-
Fred Allen	1966–1968	14	14	0	0	100%	449
Ivan Vodanovich	1969–1971	10	4	5	1	40%	568
Bob Duff	1972–1973	8	6	1	1	75%	523
JJ Stewart	1974–1976	11	6	4	1	54.5%	-
Jack Gleeson	1977–1978	13	10	3	0	76.9%	-
Eric Watson	1979–1980	9	5	4	0	55.6%	-
Peter Burke	1981–1982	11	9	2	0	81.8%	534
Bryce Rope	1983–1984	12	9	2	1	75%	-
Brian Lochore	1985–1987	18	14	3	1	77.8%	637
Alex Wyllie	1988–1991	29	25	3	1	86.2%	688
Laurie Mains	1992–1995	34	23	10	1	67.6%	697
John Hart	1996–1999	41	31	9	1	75.6%	-
Wayne Smith	2000–2001	17	12	5	0	70.6%	806
John Mitchell	2002–2003	28	23	4	1	82.1%	940
Graham Henry	2004–2011	103	88	15	0	85.4%	-
Steve Hansen	2012–2019	107	93	10	4	86.9%	-
Ian Foster	2020–2023	46	32	12	2	69.6%	-
Scott Robertson	2024–	17	13	4	0	76.5%	974

Award-Winning Coaches

The following All Blacks head coaches have been recognized at the World Rugby Awards since 2001:

World Rugby Coach of the Year

Year	Nominees	Winners
2005	Graham Henry	Graham Henry
2006	Graham Henry (2)	Graham Henry (2)
2008	Graham Henry (3)	Graham Henry (3)
2010	Graham Henry (4)	Graham Henry (4)
2011	Graham Henry (5)	Graham Henry (5)
2012	Steve Hansen	Steve Hansen
2013	Steve Hansen (2)	Steve Hansen (2)
2014	Steve Hansen (3)	Steve Hansen (3)
2015	Steve Hansen (4)	—
2016	Steve Hansen (5)	Steve Hansen (4)
2017	Steve Hansen (6)	—
2018	Steve Hansen (7)
2019	Steve Hansen (8)
2021	Ian Foster
2023	Ian Foster (2)

Where They Play: Home Grounds

Like other big rugby nations, New Zealand does not have one official stadium for its national team. Instead, the All Blacks play their test matches at different stadiums all around New Zealand.

Before 1999, Wellington's main test venue was Athletic Park. This stadium hosted the first All Blacks test match in New Zealand in 1904. The first home test match played outside the main cities of Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, or Wellington was in 1996 at McLean Park in Napier.

Eden Park and Lancaster Park were updated for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. The NZRU decided that Carisbrook was no longer suitable for test matches, so a new covered stadium, Forsyth Barr, was built in Dunedin.

Ground	First Test	Last Test	Tests Held	Win%	Last Loss
Athletic Park, Wellington, North Island	1904 v British Lions	1999 v France	42	69%	25 July 1998
Tahuna Park, Dunedin, South Island	1905 v Australia	(1905)	1	100%	N/A
Potter's Park, Auckland, North Island	1908 v British Lions	(1908)	1	100%	N/A
Carisbrook, Dunedin, South Island	1908 v British Lions	2011 v Fiji	38	86%	13 June 2009
Lancaster Park, Christchurch, South Island	1913 v Australia	2010 v Australia	48	81%	1 August 1998
Christchurch Stadium, Christchurch, South Island	2012 v Ireland	2022 v Argentina	5	80%	27 August 2022
Eden Park, Auckland, North Island	1921 v South Africa	2024 v Argentina	93	86%	3 July 1994
Epsom Showgrounds, Auckland, North Island	1958 v Australia	(1958)	1	100%	N/A
Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin, South Island	2012 v South Africa	2025 v France	11	90%	9 July 2022
McLean Park, Napier, North Island	1996 v Western Samoa	2014 v Argentina	2	100%	N/A
Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland, North Island	2021 v Tonga	2023 v South Africa	2	100%	N/A
North Harbour Stadium, Auckland, North Island	1997 v Fiji	2017 v South Africa	7	100%	N/A
Rugby Park, Hamilton, North Island	1997 v Argentina	(1997)	1	100%	N/A
Sky Stadium, Wellington, North Island	2000 v Australia	2025 v France	30	73%	10 August 2024
Waikato Stadium, Hamilton, North Island	2002 v Italy	2025 v France	16	93%	12 October 2009
Taranaki Stadium, New Plymouth, North Island	2008 v Samoa	2017 v Argentina	4	100%	N/A
Trafalgar Park, Nelson, South Island	2018 v Argentina	(2018)	1	100%	N/A
Total			303	83.2%

See also

In Spanish: Selección de rugby de Nueva Zelanda para niños