1.
Australia national rugby union team
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The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. Australia have competed in all eight Rugby World Cups, and have won the World Cup on two occasions, in 1991 beating England in the final, and in 1999 when their opponents in the final were France. Australia also lost in the final after extra time to England in the 2003 competition, Australia are governed by the Australian Rugby Union. Eleven former Australian players have been inducted into either the International Rugby Hall of Fame or the IRB Hall of Fame, three are members of the International Hall only, four are members of the IRB Hall only, and four are members of both Halls of Fame. In 1882 the Southern Rugby Football Union toured New Zealand, the New Zealand national team toured New South Wales in 1884 – defeating New South Wales in all three matches, and winning all nine matches on tour. The first tour by a British team took place in 1888, a British Isles team toured Australia and New Zealand, though no Test matches were played. Although they had representatives from all four nations, the players were drawn mainly from England. The tour was not sanctioned by the Rugby Football Union as it was organised by entrepreneurs, in 1899 the first officially sanctioned British Isles team toured Australia. Four Tests were played between Australia and the British Isles, the Australian team for the first Test match consisted of six players from Queensland and nine from New South Wales. The first Test was played at the Sydney Cricket Ground and won 13–3 by Australia, the first Test between Australia and New Zealand was played on 15 August 1903 at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Despite Australia losing 22–3, this tour improved rugbys popularity in Australia and helped to increase attendances at matches in Sydney. In 1907 the New South Wales Rugby League was formed and star player Dally Messenger left the Rugby union for the rival code, the next year the first Australian team to tour the British Isles left Sydney. Newspapers in England initially gave the team the name Rabbits, the Australian players thought this nickname derogatory and replaced it with Wallabies. Australias last Test before First World War was against New Zealand in July 1914, the war had a very negative effect on rugby union in Australia. This resulted in all but closed down in New South Wales. In Queensland regular competitions did not commence again until 1928 and this caused many players to switch to rugby league – which did not cease playing during the war. War hero Sir Edward Weary Dunlop also played for Australia before World War II and he played on the side that was the first to win the Bledisloe Cup. The first Test to following World War Two was played at Carisbrook, Australia did not win on the three match tour, beaten 20–0 by New Zealand Maori, and then losing 14–10 to the All Blacks the following week
2.
New Zealand national rugby union team
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The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly called the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in mens rugby union, which is regarded as the countrys national sport. The side has won the last two Rugby World Cups, in 2011 and 2015, as well as the tournament in 1987. They have a 77% winning record in test match rugby, and are the international side with a winning record against every opponent. Since their international debut in 1903, they have lost to only six of the 19 nations they have played in test matches, since the introduction of the World Rugby Rankings in 2003, New Zealand has held the number one ranking longer than all other teams combined. The All Blacks are statistically the best side to have played the game, New Zealand competes with Argentina, Australia and South Africa in The Rugby Championship. The All Blacks have won the fourteen times in the competitions twenty-one-year history. As of the end of 2016 competition, they hold the Bledisloe Cup, which is contested annually with Australia, New Zealand have achieved a Grand Slam four times –1978,2005,2008 and 2010. Fifteen former All Blacks have been inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame, All Black coaches have won World Rugby Coach of the Year nine times since the awards 2001 launch. The teams first match was in 1884, and their first international test match was in 1903 against Australia in Sydney, the following year they hosted their first ever home test, a match against a British Isles side in Wellington. This was followed by a 34-game tour of Europe and North America in 1905, New Zealands early uniforms consisted of a black jersey with a silver fern and white knickerbockers. By the 1905 tour, they were wearing all black, except for the silver fern, the team perform a haka – a Māori challenge or posture dance – before each match. The haka performed has traditionally been Te Rauparahas Ka Mate, although since 2005 Kapa o Pango is often performed, the first recorded game in New Zealand took place in May 1870 in Nelson between the Nelson club and Nelson College. The first provincial union, the Canterbury Rugby Football Union, was formed in 1879, NSW did not face a New Zealand representative team but played seven provincial sides – the tourists won four games and lost three. Two years later the first New Zealand team to travel overseas toured New South Wales, a privately organised British team, which later became the British and Irish Lions, toured New Zealand in 1888. No test matches were played, and the only played provincial sides. The British players were mainly from Northern England, but there were representatives from Wales. The first officially sanctioned New Zealand side toured New South Wales in 1893, the following year New Zealand played its first home international game, losing 8–6 to New South Wales. The teams first true test match occurred against Australia on 15 August 1903 at the Sydney Cricket Ground in front of over 30,000 spectators, a representative New Zealand team first toured the British Isles in 1905
3.
Rugby union
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Rugby union, known in some parts of the world simply as rugby, is a contact team sport which originated in England in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its most common form, a game is between two teams of 15 players using a ball on a rectangular field with H-shaped goalposts on each try line. Historically an amateur sport, in 1995 restrictions on payments to players were removed, World Rugby, originally the International Rugby Football Board and from 1998 to 2014 the International Rugby Board, has been the governing body for rugby union since 1886. Rugby union spread from the Home Nations of Great Britain and Ireland, early exponents of the sport included Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and France. Countries that have adopted rugby union as their de facto national sport include Fiji, Georgia, Madagascar, New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga, Rugby union is played in over 100 countries across six continents, there are 101 full members and 18 associate members of World Rugby. The Rugby World Cup, first held in 1987, takes place four years with the winner of the tournament receiving the Webb Ellis Cup. The Six Nations Championship in Europe and The Rugby Championship in the Southern Hemisphere are major annual competitions. The origin of football is reputed to be an incident during a game of English school football at Rugby School in 1823. Although the evidence for the story is doubtful, it was immortalised at the school with a plaque unveiled in 1895, despite the doubtful evidence, the Rugby World Cup trophy is named after Webb Ellis. Rugby football stems from the form of game played at Rugby School, Old Rugbeian Albert Pell, a student at Cambridge, is credited with having formed the first football team. During this early period different schools used different rules, with pupils from Rugby. Other important events include the Blackheath Clubs decision to leave the Football Association in 1863, despite the sports full name of rugby union, it is known simply as rugby throughout most of the world. The first rugby football international was played on 27 March 1871 between Scotland and England, by 1881 both Ireland and Wales had representative teams, and in 1883 the first international competition, the Home Nations Championship had begun. 1883 is also the year of the first rugby tournament, the Melrose Sevens. During the early history of union, a time before commercial air travel. The first two notable tours both took place in 1888—the British Isles team touring New Zealand and Australia, followed by the New Zealand team touring Europe, All three teams brought new styles of play, fitness levels and tactics, and were far more successful than critics had expected. After Morgan began singing, the crowd joined in, the first time a national anthem was sung at the start of a sporting event, in 1905 France played England in its first international match
4.
Wellington Rugby Football Union
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The Wellington Rugby Football Union are a New Zealand governing body of rugby union in the New Zealand province of Wellington. The main stadium is Westpac Stadium which is located in Wellington, the union also represents the Wellington Lions, which is professional rugby union team who compete in the Mitre 10 Cup competition and contest for the Ranfurly Shield. Before 2006 the Lions competed in the National Provincial Championship, players from Wellington who are eligible to play in the Super Rugby generally play for the Hurricanes, and traditionally contribute the core of the Hurricanes squad. This position is due to the Wellington basing of the Hurricanes. The reorganisation of provincial rugby in 2006 brought all three provinces into the ITM Cup, the senior Wellington representative team, the Wellington Lions play in the ITM Cup, which replaced the National Provincial Championship in 2006 as the Air New Zealand Cup. The Lions have won the competition four times since its inception in 1976. The titles came in 1978,1981,1986 and most recently in 2000 and their colours are gold and black as shown on the Lions jersey. The Lions play their games at the Westpac Stadium, previously playing at Athletic Park until 1999. In 2014 Wellington lost a record nine straight losses and were relegated to the ITM Cup Championship 2015, the Ranfurly Shield, colloquially known as the Log o Wood, is perhaps the most prestigious trophy in New Zealand domestic rugby. First played for in 1904, the Ranfurly Shield is based on a challenge system, the holding union must defend the Shield in home matches, and if a challenger defeats them, they become the new holder of the Shield. Wellington won the first ever shield challenge winning it from Auckland in 1904 and it wouldnt be until 1914 when Wellington would get the shield back by winning it off Taranaki. This marked the longest time Wellington have held the shield successfully defending it for 15 matches until losing it again to Southland in 1920 and they beat Southland a year later to regain the shield before promptly losing to Hawkes Bay after only 2 matches. Wellington held the shield for one match in 1930 and after losing it to Canterbury they would not regain the shield until 1953. Up until the 1980s Wellington had short stints defending the shield, Wellington lost the shield to Canterbury on 29 August, losing 36–14 at Westpac Stadium. Canterbury then held the shield for 4 defences before losing to Southland on 22 October and it is currently held by Waikato who defeated Hawkes Bay on 9 October 2015 by 36–30. Wellington has a team that are part of the Womens Provincial Championship. Wellington Pride is the team aside from Auckland to have won the Womens Championship. Wellington has played a number of times against touring rugby teams
5.
Athletic Park, Wellington
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Athletic Park was a sports ground used mostly for rugby matches in Wellington, New Zealand. The ground was also the home of New Zealands principal knockout football tournament. It has now been demolished and replaced with a retirement village and it was famous for a very steep grandstand which used to sway a little in the regular strong winds that Wellington is famous for. The stand was unsafe as Wellington is very susceptible to earthquakes, throughout the 1980s several proposals were made to modernise the grounds, but instead a decision was made to build a new stadium. Regardless of Westpac Stadiums location to transport and modern features, it has lacked the atmosphere. This could be due to Athletic Park being Rugby specific, which brought spectators close to the action, Westpac Stadiums flaw of attempting to be both a cricket stadium and rugby stadium has led to dwindling numbers of supporters showing up to rectangular sport in Wellington. The ground hosted many famous Test matches involving the All Blacks including the 43 -6 win over Australia in 1996, Athletic Park also played host to other non-sports events, including a visit by Pope John Paul II in 1986 and various rock concerts. KISS performed a concert in 1980 as part of their Unmasked Tour, in 1983, David Bowie and Dire Straits performed at Athletic Park, with further performances by Dire Straits in 1986 and 1991. Elton John performed 2 concerts there, the first on the 10 March 1982 as part of his Jump Up, Tour and the second was on the 22 February 1984 as part of his Too Low for Zero tour. Eurythmics performed on 28 January 1987 as part of their Revenge Tour, michael Jackson planned to perform a concert on 2 December 1987 during his Bad World Tour, but the performance was cancelled. Those attending chanted for the return of the band, New Zealands Street Talk as the music deteriorated
6.
New South Wales Waratahs
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The New South Wales Waratahs (/ˈwɒrətɑːz/ or /ˌwɒrəˈtɑːz/, referred to as the Waratahs, are an Australian rugby union team representing the majority of New South Wales in the Super Rugby competition. The Riverina and other parts of the state, are represented by the Brumbies. The name and emblem comes from the waratah, the flower for New South Wales. Their home ground is Allianz Stadium in Sydney, some matches are also held at ANZ Stadium. The NSWRU was established in 1874, and the very first club competition took place that year, by 1880 the SRU had over 100 clubs in its governance in the metropolitan area. In 1882 the first New South Wales team was selected to play Queensland in a two-match series, NSW would go on to win both the games. That same year the first NSW touring squad was selected to go, in 1907, several of the New South Wales rugby union teams players defected to play for the New South Wales rugby league team against a visiting rebel New Zealand rugby team. This was essentially the birth of rugby league in Australia, during World War I, the NSW Rugby Unions ceased senior competition. The Queensland body however would not reform until 1929, which saw NSW have more responsibilities for Australian rugby, in 1921 the Waratahs toured New Zealand again, and out of their 10 fixtures, won nine games, including the Test. They won 24 and drew two of their 31 official matches, seven members of this 1927/8 side were from the Drummoyne Rugby Club. Upon returning home, were greeted with a parade through Sydney, matches against Queensland would soon resume also. The 1930s were a successful time for NSW. The height of the success of NSW is best represented by the defeat of the South African Springboks in 1937 at the SCG, in 1963 the Sydney Rugby Union was established for the growth of the game in the city area. The NSW Rugby Union would celebrate its 100th anniversary in 1974, as part of the anniversary celebrations, a match was played at the SCG on 18 May against the All Blacks, though the Waratahs lost nil to 20. In their inaugural Super 12 season of 1996, the Waratahs won just under half of their games, finishing mid table, the following season of 1997 saw the Waratahs end in a 9th place, winning four fixtures. The Waratahs won four fixtures the next season and they won five games in the 2000 season and the Tahs finished their season in 9th place. In 2001 after replicating their 2000 performance, the Waratahs were still out of reach of finals contention, in 8th position. 2002 was a record breaking season for the Waratahs, as the team won eight out of their 11 season games, however, in the final game of the regular season the Waratahs lost 96–19
7.
Sydney Sports Ground
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The Sydney Sports Ground No.1 was a Stadium and Dirt track racing venue in Sydney, New South Wales. The ground was located where the car park of the Sydney Football Stadium currently sits, the ground had two main grandstands and was surrounded by a grass covered hill, giving it a capacity of more than 35,000. It was demolished along with the smaller No.2 Ground in 1986 to allow the building of the SFS, during its lifespan the Sports Ground hosted Rugby League, Rugby Union, Soccer, Motorcycle speedway and Speedway car racing. The Sports Ground was the ground of NSWRL team, the Eastern Suburbs Roosters. The Roosters played their last game at the Sports Ground on 29 June 1986, the South Sydney Rabbitohs club also used it as a home ground from 1928 to 1947. The Roosters recorded their biggest ever win at the Sydney Sports Ground on 18 May 1935, easts ran in 19 tries to one with Australian test centre Dave Brown, the Bradman of rugby league, scoring 45 points from 5 tries and 15 goals. Easts would win their 5th premiership in 1935 while Brown would go on to be the leading try scorer with 38. The Sports Ground was used as the Sydney Cricket Ground was in use on that day, Soccer and rugby league were among the sports held at the ground, but soccer teams also used the ground for major matches. It was also an important open-air boxing venue between the 1930s and 1960s, the champion Australian boxers Jack Carroll, Ron Richards and Jimmy Carruthers has memorable victories there. The Sydney Sports Ground was one of the used in the 1938 British Empire Games. The average attendance at the Sports Ground for the tournament was 17,270, for many years the ground also hosted minor Rugby union representative matches and the annual Sydney rugby premiership grand final. Among some of the most memorable of these games were wins by the Sydney team over more fancied visitors such as Wales and Ireland, from 1907 the Sydney Sports Ground was used as a Motorcycle racing track. The track that was later to become the dirt speedway was then concrete, the Sydney Sports Ground Speedway was officially opened in 1937 by Mr E. A. Buttershaw, NSW Minister for Lands. Between 1938 and 1953, eight Solo riders and four Speedcar drivers died as a result of accidents on the dirt track, the Sports Ground held its last speedway meeting on 25 March 1955. On 19 June 2004 a plaque was unveiled on the site of the former Sports Ground and it reads, In an era when death was an accepted risk of the sport,12 competitors lost their lives while racing at the Sydney Sports Ground. In the most tragic accident, close friends off the track Norm Clay and Ray Duggan both died after crashing together in a Solo race there on 21 January 1950
8.
Armidale, New South Wales
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Armidale is a city in the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia. Armidale had an population of 23,674 as at 30 June 2015. It is the centre for the Northern Tablelands region. It is approximately halfway between Sydney and Brisbane at the junction of the New England Highway and Waterfall Way, Armidale traditional owners are Anaiwan people. Many Gumbaynggirr people have settled in Armidale since colonisation, a short distance to the east of Armidale are heavily forested steep gorges dropping down to the eastern coastal plain. Large parts of the highlands are covered by Palaeozoic aged metamorphosed sedimentary rocks, intruding into these meta-sediments are granite plutons which decompose to form sandy soil, slightly deficient in nutrients. There are also basalt flows which are fertile for the soil substrates. Those areas away from the deep gorge country tend to display gently undulating terrain mainly used for pastures, to the west is Mount Yarrowyck Nature Reserve. The coastal plain can be reached directly at Coffs Harbour via Waterfall Way to Dorrigo and Bellingen on the Bellinger River, Armidale has a noted problem with air pollution caused by the use of solid fuel domestic wood heaters during the winter months. A local retired doctor said he is so concerned by the wood smoke situation, Armidale has a subtropical highland climate influence. Armidales elevation gives it a climate, but the summers are still very warm. Winters are long and cool, with frosty nights. Snowfall is extremely rare, on only one day in every three years. The presence of four seasons, unlike most of the rest of Australia, is the reason for the New England moniker. Summers are characterised by warm to very warm days followed almost always by cool, sometimes cold, thunderstorms often produce heavy falls of rain and occasionally hail in the afternoons and early evenings, also bringing a sudden drop in temperature. Unlike nearby coastal areas, Armidale does not usually high humidity levels making most of the summer days quite comfortable. Temperatures exceed 30 °C on average of 13 days per year, the highest temperature recorded at Armidale Airport was 37.0 °C, recorded in January 2014. As the leaves turn yellow and fall, day temperatures are still warm, particularly in March
9.
Queensland Reds
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The Queensland Reds is the rugby union team for the Australian state of Queensland that competes in the Southern Hemispheres Super Rugby competition. Prior to 1996 they were a team selected from the rugby union club competitions in Queensland. From 1996 to 2005 they were one of three Australian teams competing in the Super 12 competition, alongside the New South Wales Waratahs, Queensland finished as minor premiers in 1996 and 1999. From 2006 to 2010, they competed in the expanded Super 14 competition as one of four Australian sides, beginning in 2011, they are one of five Australian sides in the expanded and renamed Super Rugby, winning the competition in its first season in its new format. In 2012 they finished first in the Australian conference, however, it was reported that the game was soon varied to suit the preferences of the local players, and “rugby, with Brisbane variations, was the game played”. Most of these games were played at the Queens Park (now part of the City Botanic Gardens, however, in 1882, a Brisbane FC representative arranged a Rugby match against the Sydney Wallaroos Rugby club, after the NSWRU offered to pay all costs associated with the match. The following years saw rapidly increasing popularity of the Rugby game, as Rugby historian Sean Fagan noted, The defining moment in the code battle came with the 1886 Queensland side, who defeated NSW for the first time in Sydney. “The success of this team won the day for rugby game in Queensland. In 1883, the first inter-colonial match in Brisbane took place, in 1896 the first Queensland team departed for a tour of New Zealand, where they played New Zealand at Athletic Park in Wellington on 15 August, losing 9 to nil. In 1899 Queensland recorded their first win against an international team, the Queensland team remained a representative team selected solely from the rugby union clubs within the state, until the advent of the Super rugby competition in the 1990s. With the start up of league as well as World War I, Queensland rugby was dormant for a number of years. In 1928 the QRU was re-formed, and the GPS competition, the game struggled during World War II, but growth was nonetheless apparent, with the advent of the Queensland Junior Rugby Union and the Country Rugby Union. In 1950 the QRU secured the Normanby Oval at nominal rent from Brisbane Grammar School, before they moved into Ballymore Stadium in 1966, in 1980 Queensland defeated the All Blacks, which was their first win against New Zealand. The match was played at Ballymore on 6 July and Queensland won 9 to 3, two seasons later centenary celebrations took place, with Queensland defeating New South Wales 41 to 7 in the celebratory match. The first Super 10 was held in 1993, Queensland were grouped in Pool A alongside Auckland, Natal, Western Samoa and Otago. Queensland finished with five points, in fourth place, the subsequent Super 10 competition of 1994 saw Queensland finish at the top of Pool A on 13 points, edging out North Harbour on for and against differential to finish at the top. The Queensland Reds went on to play the winner of Pool B, South African side, the Reds won the final,21 points to 10 at Kings Park Stadium in Durban. The following season was more successful for the Reds, who were playing in Pool B for the 1995 season
10.
The Gabba
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The Brisbane Cricket Ground, commonly known as the Gabba, is a major sports stadium in Brisbane, the capital of Queensland. It is named after the suburb of Woolloongabba, in which it is located. The land on which the ground sits was first set aside for use as a ground in 1895. Prior to this, cricket was played at the ground located in the area then known as Green Hills. The Gabba shared first-class cricket matches with the Exhibition Ground until 1931, the first Sheffield Shield match at the Gabba was scheduled to be played between 31 January 1931 and 4 February 1931, but it was washed out without a ball being bowled. The first Test match at the Gabba was played between Australia and South Africa between 27 November and 3 December 1931. Over the years, the Gabba has hosted athletics, Australian rules football, baseball, concerts, cricket, cycling, rugby league, rugby union, soccer and pony and greyhound races. Between 1993 and 2005, the Gabba was redeveloped in six stages at a cost of A$128,000,000, the dimensions of the playing field are now 170.6 metres by 149.9 metres to accommodate the playing of Australian Football at elite level. The seating capacity of the ground is now 42,000, on 15 December 2016, Australia hosted Pakistan for the first Day-Night Test of The Gabba, and the first Australian day-night test hosted outside of Adelaide Oval. The First Test between Australia and England is played nowadays at Brisbane, nobody seems to know why, and all sorts of arguments are ventilated for and against more cricket Tests on the Woolloongabba ground. I am all in favour of robbing Queensland of its greatest cricketing occasion and it is not a cricket ground at all. Spectators are herded and sorted out into lots as though for all the world this was a slave market, the stands are of wood and filthy to sit on. The dining rooms are barns, without a touch of colour or a picture on the wall, everywhere there is dust and dirt. Forgive me if I am bitter about the Woolloongabba ground. The venue usually hosts the first Test match of the season each November in addition to a number of international matches usually held in January. The pitch is usually fast and bouncy, the Gabbas amenities were greatly improved in the 1980s from a very basic standard, especially in comparison with the other Australian cricket grounds. Test cricket was first played at the ground in November 1931, in December 1960, Test crickets first-ever Tied Test took place at the ground when Richie Benauds Australian team tied with Frank Worrells West Indian side. Queensland clinched its first-ever Sheffield Shield title with victory over South Australia in the final at the ground in March 1995, the Gabba was the first Australian venue to host an International Twenty20 cricket match. Australias Michael Clarke holds the record for number of runs scored in one Test innings at the Gabba with 259 not out, Australia has a formidable test match record at the ground
11.
Rugby union positions
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In the game of rugby union, there are 15 players on each team, comprising eight forwards and seven backs. In addition, there may be up to eight replacement players on the bench, players are not restricted to any single position on the field, although they generally specialise in just one or two that suit their skills and body types. Players that specialise in three positions are called utility players. The scrum, however, must consist of eight players, the front row, the row. The players outside the scrum are called the backs, scrum-half, fly-half, the backs play behind the forwards and are usually more lightly built and faster. Successful backs are skilful at passing and kicking, full-backs need to be good defenders and kickers, and have the ability to catch a kicked ball. The wingers are usually among the fastest players in a team, the centres key attacking roles are to try and break through the defensive line and link successfully with wingers. The fly-half can be a kicker and generally directs the backline. The scrum-half retrieves the ball from the forwards and needs a quick, forwards compete for the ball in scrums and line-outs and are generally bigger and stronger than the backs. Props push in the scrums, while the hooker tries to hook the ball, locks are tall and jump for the ball at the line-out after the hooker has thrown it in. The flankers and number eight should be the first forwards to a tackle, there are a maximum of 15 players from each team on a rugby field at one time. The players position at the start of the game is indicated by the number on the back of their shirts,1 to 15, the positions are divided into two main categories, forwards and backs. In international matches, there are eight substitutes that can replace a team member. The substitutes, numbered 16 to 23, can take up the position of the player they replace or the on-field players can be shuffled to make room for this player in another position. Typically, the replacement players will have a number that corresponds with their intended replacement position with the numbers from 16 to 20 being forwards and 21 to 23 being backs. There are no personal squad numbers and a players position. Players can also change positions with players on the field during the match, common examples are the fly-half playing the full-backs position in defence or a prop taking the hookers position at line-outs. Different positions on the field suit certain skill sets and body types, each position has certain roles to play on the field, although most have been established through convention rather than law
12.
Auckland Rugby Union
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The Auckland Rugby Union is the governing body for rugby union in a portion of the Auckland Region of New Zealand. Its colours are blue and white in a hooped design. The ARFU govern the running of the Auckland representative team which have won New Zealands first-tier domestic competition National Provincial Championship 16 times—more than any other team and their most recent victory was the 2007 competition. Auckland also acts as a feeder to the Blues, who play in the Super Rugby competition. The union is coached by Paul Feeney the union also administers all club rugby within the region, including the Gallaher Shield, as well, the union is responsible for school rugby. The Auckland Rugby Football Union was officially formed in 1884, when it joined the Canterbury, Wellington, Auckland has been the most successful union in New Zealand rugby history, having won a record 16 ITM Cup titles. Auckland also holds the record for the most Ranfurly Shield wins, successful defences, in 1996, with the advent of professional rugby union, Auckland became the host, and primary feeder, to the Blues, known from 1996–99 as the Auckland Blues. There have been many notable eras in the teams history and it went undefeated for six seasons from 1897, and there was a ground breaking run in the early 1920s under Sir Vincent Meredith. The 1960–63 period, known as the Golden Era, was summed up in The Golden Years written by Don Cameron in 1983, there was also a relatively undisturbed spell of success from 1982 through to the 2007 Air New Zealand Cup victory. Auckland won 16 of the 26 Air New Zealand NPC titles available in that time – a period that included 61 Ranfurly Shield defences, Auckland went undefeated for six seasons from 1897, and there was an undefeated run in the early 1920s under Sir Vincent Meredith. The 1960 to 1963 period, known as the Golden Era, was summed up in The Golden Years written by Don Cameron in 1983. Auckland were the first holders of the Ranfurly Shield in 1902 and have won 153 out of 194 shield matches – the most successful record of any provincial union. Notable periods include from 1905 to 1913, when they defeated 23 successive challenges,1960 and 1963, when 25 challenges were defeated,1985 to 1993, Auckland most recently held the shield between 2007 and 2008, when 5 challenges were defeated. In 1993, Auckland defeated the British Lions by 23–18 during their tour to New Zealand, with six titles in the 1990s, and four so far in the new century, Aucklands domination of the New Zealand rugby landscape continues. The 2007 team is the first since the 1990 side to remain unbeaten in a season and win the Ranfurly Shield and their womens team, known as the Auckland Storm, are the most successful womens team in New Zealand. They are the current National Champions, and have won 13 of the 14 Womens Provincial Championship, among the earliest founding clubs in Auckland were Grafton, Ponsonby and College Rifles, Marist, University, Grammar and Suburbs. He became the sole selector to the Auckland team, leading the side to eight successive Ranfurly Shield wins and he then joined the army at a relatively late age, and was killed in the Passchendaele offensive in 1917 aged 43. His Ponsonby side has dominated the Gallaher Shield, winning it 33 times, the Auckland Rugby Football Union consists of 20 clubs from the Auckland isthmus
13.
South Canterbury Rugby Football Union
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The South Canterbury Rugby Football Union is a rugby province based in the central South Island city of Timaru, New Zealand. The South Canterbury team play from Alpine Energy Stadium located in Timaru, Club rugby in South Canterbury predated the formation of South Canterbury RFU by at least two decades. The first recorded rugby match in South Canterbury was played on 15 October 1867 between The Timaru and Temuka Clubs at Arowhenua. Eight years later, in 1875, the South Canterbury Football Club was formed, founded by Alfred St. George Hamersley the former captain of the England national rugby union team and resident of Timaru. Soon after on 24 May 1875 a match was played between North and South Canterbury at Ashburton that resulted in a draw, more clubs were formed, such as the Waimate Football Club on 24 May 1876, and Christchurch are recorded as playing Temuka in 1876. The South Canterbury Rugby Football Union was formed in 1888 when it broke away from the Canterbury Rugby Football Union, soon after, a representative match was played on 24 July 1888 against the New Zealand Native Team on the Athletic Grounds, Timaru. South Canterbury has produced a number of All Blacks and are one of the few unions to have played in all three Divisions of the NPC. Also 2011 saw two sell out Super 15 games played at Alpine Energy Stadium in Timaru - the Crusaders vs the Bulls, the South Canterbury Rugby team play from Alpine Energy Stadium, Timaru and they play their rugby in the Heartland Championship. They also compete against Mid Canterbury and North Otago for the Hanan Shield, South Canterbury along with Canterbury, Tasman, Buller, Mid Canterbury and West Coast make up the Crusaders Super Rugby franchise. South Canterbury won the 2nd division South Island in 1976,1977,1981 and the 3rd division in 1986,1991,1998, and the Lochore Cup in 2013. First played for in 1946, the Hanan Shield is based on a challenge system played between North Otago, South Canterbury and Mid Canterbury, South Canterbury are the current holders of the Shield after beating Mid Canterbury 17-15 on 13 October 2012
14.
Canterbury Rugby Football Union
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The Canterbury Rugby Football Union is the governing body for rugby union in a portion of the Canterbury Region of New Zealand. Its colours are red and black in a hooped design and their most recent victory was the 2015 competition. Canterbury also acts as a feeder to the Crusaders, who play in the Super Rugby competition. The union is coached by Scott Robertson, the union also administers all club rugby within the region, including senior club rugby and school rugby. Canterbury are the current holders of the Ranfurly Shield having won it off Waikato on 28 September 2016 after a 29–23 victory in Hamilton, the Canterbury Rugby Football Union was established in 1879 following a match between South Canterbury and North Canterbury in Timaru. He succeeded in getting Canterbury clubs to adopt the rules in 1876. It had been proposed that the new organisation be the New Zealand Rugby Union, but this was rejected. Canterbury was the first provincial union within New Zealand, with the Wellington Rugby Football Union was formed later that year, by 1890 fourteen provincial unions had been founded within New Zealand. As well as being the oldest union within New Zealand, the CRFU was actually founded before one of the Home Unions – the Welsh Rugby Union was founded in 1881, Canterbury hosted an Otago side that triumphed by a try to nil. The first rugby match at Lancaster Park was played the following year – a ground that would be the home of Canterbury rugby until the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, the occurred only a few years prior to the formation of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union in 1892. The CRFU had originally voted to join the NZRU in 1891, along with the Otago and Southland provinces, the CRFU objected to the requirement that NZRU executive committee members reside in Wellington. South Canterbury had joined the NZRU, and the representative sides did not meet in 1893. As well as this, players from Canterbury were not eligible for selection in the 1893 New Zealand team that toured Australia, the CRFU eventually relented, and in 1894 joined the NZRU, both Otago and Southland joined the following year. In 1904 a sub-union of the South Canterbury Rugby Union was formed around the Ashburton area – the Ashburton Country Rugby Union, in 1905 it came under the umbrella of the CRFU, but split away to become completely independent in 1927. It was renamed the Mid Canterbury Rugby Football Union in 1952, nPC/Air New Zealand Cup/ITM Cup/Mitre 10 Cup,1977,1983,1997,2001,2004,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2015,2016. Ranfurly Shield, 1927–28, 1931–34,1935,1950, 1953–56, 1969–71, 1972–73, 1982–85, 1994–95, 2000–03, 2004–06,2007,2009, 2010–11, 2016–present. In addition to the Mens 1st XV, the CRFU has a number of representative teams for both Men and Women. Their Womens team is part of the Womens Provincial Championship, the Country Cup is the premier club competition over the Canterbury Country region
15.
Taranaki Rugby Football Union
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The Taranaki Rugby Football Union are a New Zealand governing body of rugby union in the New Zealand province of Taranaki. The main stadium is Yarrow Stadium which is located in New Plymouth, the union also represents the Taranaki Bulls, which is professional rugby union team who compete in the Mitre 10 Cup competition and contest for the Ranfurly Shield. Before 2006 the Bulls competed in the National Provincial Championship, on 25 October 2014 Taranaki won their first ITM Cup, defeating Tasman 36–32 in New Plymouth. This was the first time a team from outside the population centres had won the premier New Zealand domestic rugby competition since Manawatu in 1980. Taranaki has won the NPC second division more than any other Union in New Zealand, Taranaki also plays for the Ryan Wheeler memorial trophy, a trophy played for annually with the Waikato Rugby Union. In 2013, Taranaki changed its Super Rugby allegiance to the Chiefs, after severing ties with the Hurricanes, on May 31,1889 the Hawera club convened a meeting in Hawera, of delegates from the Hawera, Waimate, New Plymouth, Okaiawa, and Eltham clubs. This meeting agreed to form the Taranaki Union, by the turn of the century, Taranaki R. F. U. had produced eleven All Blacks, six of whom toured Great Britain in 1905. Taranaki currently plays in the professional Mitre 10 Cup, which it won in 2014, coastal Rugby and Sports Club, Merger of the Okato Rugby Football Club, the Rahotu Rugby Football Club and the Opunake Rugby Football Club. Eltham Kaponga Rugby Football Club, Merger of the Eltham Rugby Football Club, the Taranaki Rugby Referees Association has the backing of sponsor Farmlands. Each year the TRRA names a Top Five, Top Five after the 2016 season is, Cameron Stone Richard Kelly Will Johnston Max OLeary Trent Mischefski Paul Williams was not considered due to his Super Rugby commitments. These five referees are involved as assistant referees and substitution controllers at the local Mitre 10 Cup, Super Rugby and they are also involved in local development and age-group representative matches as New Zealand Rugby Union have given most of the representative appointments back to the local provinces. The Dean Cup is believed to be the oldest competition trophy still being played for in the sport of rugby union. In 2003 when Whangamomona challenged Strathmore for the cup and the game was played at Yarrow Stadium on 19 April as a curtain raiser to the Hurricanes versus Highlanders Super 12 match. Strathmore were victorious, on occasion, holding on to defend the cup. This is the first time that the Dean Cup has been played for outside of the Eastern Districts. The T. R. F. U. has several teams under its control and their top professional team, the Bulls is coached by Colin Cooper and captained by midfielder Charlie Ngatai. Their traditional colors are amber and black hoops with white shorts and they are also sponsored by Port Taranaki. The Taranaki squad for the 2016 Mitre 10 Cup was announced on 2 August, samoan international Isaia Tuifua was listed as injury cover
16.
Otago Rugby Football Union
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The Otago Rugby Football Union is the official governing body of rugby union for the Otago region of New Zealand. The union is based in the city of Dunedin, and its ground is Forsyth Barr Stadium. The top representative team competes in the ITM Cup, New Zealands top provincial competition, the union was to have been liquidated in March 2012. However a deal involving the Dunedin City Council allowed it to keep operating, the union was founded in 1881, celebrating its 125th year in 2006. Since the inception of the NPC in 1976, Otago have won the competition twice, furthermore, since playoffs were introduced, Otago have made the final on six occasions and the semi-finals on 11 Occasions. In Ranfurly Shield performance, Otago have won 36 of 74 shield matches, with only Auckland, Otago made two more NPC Division 1 finals since their last title in 1998, both in 2001 and 2005 finishing runners-up on both occasions. After 2005 the NPC was revamped into the Air New Zealand Cup, four new teams were promoted from the NPC Second Division into the Air New Zealand Cup. Otago had another season reaching the semi-finals, losing to Waikato 44–15 at Waikato Stadium,2007 began with a 68–7 defeat to Wellington in the Capital. Otago would win five matches to reach the finals where they were beaten by Canterbury 44–6 in Christchurch. 2008 saw Otago win four of their ten matches, however Otago would be the only team to defeat Wellington during the regular season. Otago finished 10th in 2009 and Otago finish 10th once again with five wins from thirteen matches,2010 saw a new adopted name. Otago would be known as the Razorbacks, however Otago won two of thirteen matches and finished with the wooden spoon. 2011 would see Otago placed in the reformatted championship,2011 was a significant year for Otago with the team playing its final season at Carisbrook before the mid-season relocation to the Forsyth Barr Stadium. Also Otagos Tony Brown would play for the Razorbacks, Otago began the season defeating North Harbour 46–29 at Carisbrook. The following week Otago created history by defeating Auckland 32–25 at Eden Park and it was Otagos first win at Eden Park since 1976. Otago started with just as many wins as they had all of the 2010 ITM Cup season, Otago would play Southland in the teams final ever game at Carisbrook, losing 19–12 to the Stags. Manawatu were supposed to be Otagos first new opponents at the Forsyth Barr Stadium, bad weather however would postpone the game to later in the season. Otago played Canterbury in the teams first game at Forsyth Barr Stadium, Canterbury won 29–16 in front of a crowd of 14067
17.
Jock McKenzie (rugby union)
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Richard John McKenzie, known as Jock, was a rugby union footballer who played for the New Zealand national team, commonly called the All Blacks. He mostly played at second five-eighth, and made 20 appearances for New Zealand between 1913 and 1914 and he played most of his provincial rugby for Wellington, but played two matches for Auckland in 1914 before the outbreak of the First World War. Most New Zealand rugby, including international matches, were suspended for the duration of the war, McKenzie was wounded during the war, and this forced him to retire from playing. Jackson, Gordon F. W. Wellingtons Rugby History 1870 –1950, Wellington, New Zealand, A. H. & A. W. Reed
18.
Buller Rugby Football Union
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The Buller Rugby Union is a rugby union province based in the town of Westport, New Zealand. The Buller provincial boundary also includes other towns such as Reefton, Karamea, Granity, Charleston, Punakaiki. Buller has played in both the second and third divisions of the former NPC, after the New Zealand Rugby Union restructuring of the NPC in 2006 Buller currently play in the Heartland Championship. The side has performed with distinction in this competition having made the top tier Meads Cup section twice in the past 3 seasons, Buller has had some memorable matches against international sides in the past including victory over Australia. Historically Buller were a strong provincial Union particularly in the pre 1960 era, with the formation of the National Provincial Championship in 1976 Buller began to struggle as players moved to bigger Unions to further their rugby and work careers. However the Union has experienced a resurgence in fortunes over the last 4 seasons with the team performing well in the Heartland Championship. Buller along with Canterbury, Tasman, West Coast, Mid Canterbury, Buller has won one Provincial Championship, the Heartland Championship Lochore Cup in 2012 defeating South Canterbury in the Final. In 2014, Buller went through Round Robin Undefeated progressing to the Meads Cup Final only to fall to Mid Canterbury, Buller have never held the Ranfurly Shield despite a number of close matches. The best result being in 1949 when Buller drew 6–6 against Otago at Carisbrook, had the match been played using the modern scoring system, Buller would have won courtesy of scoring more tries than their Otago opposition. Established in 1906 in memory of Richard John Seddon, the Seddon Shield is a challenge shield contested by teams in the upper South Island. Buller along with Nelson Bays, Marlborough and West Coast currently compete for the shield, originally the Golden Bay-Motueka Rugby Union and the Nelson Rugby Union also competed for the shield before those unions amalgamated to form Nelson Bays. Buller have held the shield on a number of occasions but Nelson Bays are the current holders, in 2009 Buller lost their Seddon Shield challenge against Nelson Bays by 29–37. The Rundle Cup is contested annually between the Buller and West Coast Unions and it is one of the oldest trophies in NZ rugby. The Rundle Cup was donated to the West Coast provincial union during their Annual General Meeting at the Albion Hotel on 24 May 1911 by William Rundle as a trophy for Buller-West Coast matches. Rundle was a business man in the mining industry and former player for the Grey Football Club. He later perished on the frontline in France during World War One, the first contest for the cup was held in 1911 in Westport and was won by Buller. Buller has had six players selected for the All Blacks whilst playing their club rugby in Buller, Tom Fisher Edward Holder Charles McLean Bill Mumm Kenneth Svenson Robert Tunnicliff Also, C. Green B. Stack Other All Blacks to play for Buller at senior or junior level either before or after their national selection were, gilbert Fred Newton T. A. French A. Webster S
19.
Albert Downing
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Albert Doolan Joseph Downing was a New Zealand international rugby union player, capped 26 times at lock between 1913 and 1914. He was born in Napier, and began his career for Napier Marist in 1909, from which he was selected for Hawkes Bay. He moved at the end of 1912 to Auckland and there joined Auckland Marist and he was selected for the highly successful tour of North America in 1913, playing in 14 of the 16 matches and scoring 6 tries. While the All Blacks were on a tour of Australia in 1914, the British Empire declared war on Germany, three of them were killed, Downing the first of the All Blacks in World War I. After enlisting in early 1915, he took part in the Battle of Chunuk Bair, part of the Gallipoli Campaign, Henry Dewar, a team mate from the USA tour, died the following day at Anzac Cove. Albert Downing was born on 12 July 1886 in Port Ahuriri, Napier, New Zealand and he attended Napier Boys High School until 1904. He was a farmer before joining Barry Brothers, carriers and coal merchants, choosing to work as a carter outdoors, later, he worked as a storeman for the Ellison and Duncan Company. Downing’s rugby career, playing at lock, started with the Napier Old Boys Rugby Club and then Napier Marist Rugby Club, in 1911, he was selected for a North Island Country team, playing all games of a five match tour. The tour was part of a scheme by the New Zealand Rugby Union to discover talent, which brought Downing to the selectors attention. The North Island team played four games, against Auckland, Taranaki Union, Wanganui and Wellington, between 29 July and 9 August, and played a final match against the South Island on 12 August. The North versus South match, which the North won 18–6, was described in the press as lacking in quality, it was an uninteresting match, and play was crude and poor and lacked vigour. Downing stood out, The only member of team who could be said to have played up to inter-island form was Downing – a fine forward in the North Island team. The following year, Downings name was put forward by Hawkes Bay to play for the North Island in the annual Inter-Island match, the North beat the South 12–8 in a closely contested, entertaining game in front of a full capacity crowd. The Northern forwards in general played a game, it was suggested that Downings passing back from the lineout to the halfback was something that other forwards might consider imitating. A tour with the North Island Country team followed, in which Downing played all four games. The last, against South Island Country in Wellington on 4 August, had to be stopped at half time due to the condition of the ground. His Hawkes Bay and North Island Country team-mate Norman McKenzie described him as an outstanding line-out forward with a pair of hands. Downing relocated to Auckland at the end of 1912 and was recruited by Auckland Marists on the strength of his playing and he was the clubs first All Black, joined shortly after by Jim Buster Barrett
20.
New Zealand Rugby
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New Zealand Rugby is the governing body of rugby union in New Zealand. It was founded in 1892 as the New Zealand Rugby Football Union,12 years after the first provincial unions in New Zealand. In 1949 it became an affiliate to the International Rugby Football Board, now known as World Rugby and it dropped the word Football from its name in 2006. The brand name New Zealand Rugby was adopted in 2013, NZR Headquarters are located in Wellington, New Zealand, with an office in Auckland. New Zealand Rugby’s purpose is to lead, grow, support and it is committed to New Zealand rugby being financially secure, attracting top partners and contributing actively to the global game. There are currently 11 NZRU Board members, the President, David Rhodes, was elected in 2015. The President may attend Board meetings but is not a Board member, Steve Tew is the current chief executive and Sir Brian Lochore is the current Patron. It also delivers Investec Super Rugby in New Zealand and manages Test matches in New Zealand, New Zealand Rugby has a staff of approximately 90 people, mostly based in Wellington and Auckland but also working in locations all around New Zealand. NZR was initially governed by a committee of delegates from the provincial unions until replaced in 1894 by a seven-member Wellington-based management committee, administrative responsibilities were initially held by honorary secretaries, and then secretaries, from 1907. This was expanded 43 years later to two entities, the ruling NZRU Council and an executive committee. In 1986, three geographical zones were formed to elect the members of the council, and the executive committee was replaced by an administration committee. Since 1990, the NZRU has been managed by a CEO, in 1996, the NZRUs ruling council was replaced by an expanded board to include independent members and an elected Maori representative. New Zealand Rugbys Patron fills a role as the figurehead for the organization. The current Patron is former All Blacks captain Sir Brian Lochore, the President and Vice President are the Unions two officers who represent New Zealand Rugby at functions and events. Unlike the Patron, the President and Vice President may attend meetings of New Zealand Rugby. The President and Vice President are elected for two years each, the current President is David Rhodes and the current Vice President is Maurice Trapp. The Board is charged with setting strategy, direction and policy for the New Zealand Rugby Union, many of the decisions concerning New Zealand’s national teams, domestic competitions, financial management and rugby traditions are made by the Board. As of April 2015, the Board has nine members, six elected members, any provincial union in New Zealand may nominate candidates for vacant elective positions
21.
The Original All Blacks
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The Original All Blacks were the first New Zealand national rugby union team to tour outside Australasia. They toured the British Isles, France and the United States of America during 1905–1906 and their opening game, on 16 September 1905, was against Devon whom they defeated 55–4. They went on to defeat every English side that they faced, including a 16–3 victory over English county champions Durham, and they defeated Scotland, Ireland and England with the closest of the three matches their 12–7 victory over Scotland. The teams only loss of the tour was a 3–0 defeat by Wales at Cardiff Arms Park, a try claimed by winger Bob Deans was not awarded by the referee and later became a subject of controversy. However, Wales were generally considered the team with the All Blacks playing particularly poorly in the first half of the game. They managed narrow wins against four Welsh club teams and went on to play France in Frances first-ever Test match and they returned to New Zealand via North America where they played two matches against Canadian teams. Overall they played a total of thirty-five matches, which included five Tests, the 1905 All Blacks tour of Britain went on to achieve legendary status within the rugby world and New Zealand in particular. They scored 976 points and conceded only 59, and thus set the standard for future All Blacks sides, the tour also saw the first use of the All Blacks name and established New Zealands reputation as a world-class rugby nation. After the formation of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union in 1892, the first tour by a New Zealand representative side under NZRFU auspices was in 1894 to New South Wales. New Zealands first Test match was in 1903 when they played Australia in Sydney, New Zealands first home Test was played the following year when they defeated Britain at Athletic Park, Wellington, by 9–3. The win was significant as Britain had been unbeaten in their Australian tour, the New Zealand selectors named a squad of 53 players from which the touring team would be selected in late 1904. The following year, on 25 February, a list of 16 certainties for the tour was named, before the Northern Hemisphere tour,18 of the squad conducted a preliminary three-match tour of Australia where they won two matches and drew the other. They also played four matches in New Zealand, winning two, drawing one, and losing their final match 3–0 to Wellington. The team departed for England aboard the Rimutaka on 30 July, there were two ports of call on the journey – Montevideo, and Tenerife – before their arrival in Plymouth, England. The day after their arrival on 8 September, the squad travelled 24 km to Newton Abbot, which served as the teams training base throughout much of the tour. Because of this, Devon went into the match as favourites, however the crowd of 6,000 at the match were soon stunned by the New Zealanders as they scored 12 tries and eventually won 55–4. Billy Wallace scored 28 points, including three tries, and it would be another 51 years before another All Black would score points in one match. The score caused a sensation in Britain, and some newspapers even reported the score as Devon 55
22.
New Zealand at the Rugby World Cup
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The New Zealand mens national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, have played 50 matches in the eight Rugby World Cup tournaments from 1987 to 2015. They won the 1987,2011 and 2015 tournaments and they are the only team never to have lost a pool match and to have always qualified in first place from every group. Their worst performance was in 2007, when they lost a quarter-final to France, New Zealand hosted the inaugural tournament in 1987 with Australia as a co-host. New Zealand was the sole host of the 2011 tournament, story of the Rugby World Cup, Australian Post Corporation, Rugbyworldcup. com Official site of the Rugby World Cup. IRB. com Official site of the International Rugby Board
23.
The Rugby Championship
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The Rugby Championship is an international rugby union competition contested annually by Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. Prior to the 2012 tournament, when Argentina joined, it was known as the Tri Nations, the inaugural Tri Nations tournament was in 1996, and was won by New Zealand – known as the All Blacks. South Africa won their first title in 1998, and Australia their first in 2000, following the last Tri Nations tournament in 2011, New Zealand had won ten championships, with South Africa and Australia on three titles each. The first Rugby Championship was won by New Zealand, who won all six of their matches. New Zealand, Australia and South Africa have frequently been ranked among the top rugby nations with the two teams winning the Rugby World Cup twice and New Zealand winning it three times. Australia and New Zealand first played each other in 1903, in the 1930s, Australia and New Zealand started contesting the Bledisloe Cup during rugby tours between the two countries. The new union soon announced a deal worth £360 million. The competition was established to create an equivalent to the Five Nations in Europe, in 2012, this competition was extended to include Argentina, a country whose impressive performances in international games was deemed to merit inclusion in the competition. As a result of the expansion to four teams, the tournament was renamed The Rugby Championship, the series is played on a home-and-away basis. From the first tournament in 1996 until 2005, the three played each other twice. Since then, each team has played the three times, except in the Rugby World Cup years of 2007 and 2011 when the series reverted to a double round-robin. For 2015, to provide the teams longer preparation time ahead of the 2015 Rugby World Cup, with the addition of Argentina, in 2012, the format once again reverted to a double round-robin. In addition to the Rugby Championship trophy, the winner of games played between Australia and New Zealand also go toward determining the winner of the Bledisloe Cup each year. Similarly, the Freedom Cup is contested between New Zealand and South Africa, and the Mandela Challenge Plate between Australia and South Africa. The opening tournament of 1996 was dominated by the All Blacks who stormed to victory undefeated, leaving the Springboks, the launch of the Tri Nations was considered a huge success. A similar story unfolded the following year,1997, the All Blacks maintained their dominance over the new competition and again went undefeated. Australia and South Africa found themselves in similar position again with just one win each, the 1998 series was something of a turnaround for all nations with South Africa winning the tournament and Australia finishing second. Two-time winner New Zealand finished at the bottom with no wins, in the following tournament in 1999 New Zealand again became Tri Nations champions and defending champions South Africa fell to the bottom
24.
Bledisloe Cup
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The Bledisloe Cup is a rugby union competition between the national teams of Australia and New Zealand that has been competed for since the 1930s. New Zealand have had the most success, winning the trophy for the 44th time in 2016, there is some dispute as to when the first Bledisloe Cup match was played. The Australian Rugby Union contend that the one-off 1931 match played at Eden Park was first, the New Zealand Rugby Union believe that the first match was when New Zealand toured Australia in 1932. Between 1931 and 1981 it was contested irregularly in the course of rugby tours between the two countries, New Zealand won it 19 times and Australia four times in this period including in 1949 when Australia won it for the first time on New Zealand soil. The trophy itself was apparently lost during this period and reportedly rediscovered in a Melbourne store room, in the years 1982 to 1995 it was contested annually, sometimes as a series of three matches and other times in a single match. During these years New Zealand won it 11 times and Australia three times, since 1996 the cup has been contested as part of the annual Tri Nations tournament. Until 1998 the cup was contested in a three series, the two Tri Nations matches between these sides and a third match. New Zealand won these series in 1996 and 1997, and Australia won it in 1998. In 1996 and from 1999 through 2005, the match was not played, during those years, Australia. If both teams won one of games, or if both games were drawn, the cup was retained by its current holder. The non-holder had to win the two games 2–0 or 1–0 to regain the Cup,2006 saw the return of the 3-game contest for the Bledisloe Cup as the Tri Nations series was extended so that each team played each other 3 times. The 2007 Cup, however, reverted to the two-game contest because the Tri Nations was abbreviated that year to minimise interference with the preparations for the World Cup. The Hong Kong match, which drew a crowd of 39,000 to see the All Blacks defeat the Wallabies 19–14, even before the match, the two countries rugby federations were considering taking Cup matches to the United States and Japan in 2009 and 2010. Japan hosted a fourth Bledisloe Test match on 31 October 2009, each team is expected to clear at least A$3.8 million/NZ$5 million from the Tokyo match. However a 2010 fourth match was set in Hong Kong and has struggled to attract crowds, the three-match format for the Bledisloe Cup continued in 2012, with the first two matches taking place as part of the 2012 Rugby Championship. Since 1996, Fox Sports has televised it and they jointly televised it with Seven Network between 1996 to 2010, Nine Network in 2011 and 2012 and Network Ten since 2013. History of rugby matches between Australia and New Zealand Laurie OReilly Cup Rugby union trophies and awards
25.
New Zealand national rugby sevens team
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The team has been officially known as the All Blacks Sevens since 1 June 2012. The team played for the first time at the 1973 International Seven-A-Side Tournament, in 1983 it first entered the Hong Kong Sevens, where it has been champion 10 times and runner-up another 10 times. The team has won twelve of the fifteen IRB Sevens World Series events. The team has won 47 tournaments out of 122 held, in the 2006–07 series, it was left until the last round at Murrayfield, Edinburgh, to find out who would win. If Fiji had won their quarter-final against Wales then they would have won the series and this meant that New Zealand needed to win the final against Samoa to win the title. With a convincing six tries to one, 34–5 scoreline, they did just that and were crowned champions, the 2007–08 series saw New Zealand set several records. They became the first team in the history of the IRB Sevens to have won the first four events of a season, having won the Dubai, South Africa, Wellington. During the USA Sevens, they broke their own record, set in 2001 and 2002, for most consecutive match wins in the IRB Sevens. The team extended their streak of tournaments won to the first five of the season, and their record streaks of tournaments won and match wins ended in the final of the Adelaide Sevens with a 15–7 defeat to South Africa. No other country has won more than twice, New Zealand were particularly dominant in the early years of the Series, winning the first six series
26.
Junior All Blacks
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The Junior All Blacks are a New Zealand rugby union team. The Junior All Blacks are not an age grade side, for all intents and purposes, they are the New Zealand A team. The present team is actually the incarnation of the Junior All Blacks. The first team was an age grade side, being players under 23 years old, additionally, the team played a tour match, as New Zealand A, against visiting England in 1998. The team was reintroduced and repurposed in 2006 and they competed in the inaugural Pacific Nations Cup alongside Fiji, Japan, Samoa and Tonga. In 2007 Australia A joined the competition and they are currently coached by Colin Cooper and Ian Foster. Stephen Brett takes McAlisters place after he was called up to the senior squad, alando Soakai was also brought into the squad as Karl Lowe went on temporary paternity leave. James McGougan was called up as cover for an eye injury to Jamie Mackintosh, if Mackintosh is able to play he will rejoin the squad. Alby Mathewson did not travel to Samoa because of a shoulder injury, lelia Masaga also called up to the full squad and was replaced by Callum Bruce. Ged Robinson was called up as cover for Aled de Malmanche who was called up to the All Blacks, george Whitelock was additionally called up by the All Blacks, as Karl Lowe returns to the squad. Jason Macdonald was called into the squad to replace Ged Robinson, head Coach, Colin Cooper, Ian Foster Caps Updated,8 July 2015 Note, Flags indicate national union for the club/province as defined by World Rugby
