New Zealand national rugby league team
Encyclopedia
The New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand
in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League
, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name
. The team's colours are black with white and the players perform a haka
before every match they play as a challenge to their opponents. The New Zealand Kiwis are the current World Cup
-holders and Four Nations
champions, and have unseated arch rivals Australia from their position as the dominant national rugby league team. Since the 1990s players for the team have been largely sourced from clubs in Australasia's National Rugby League
with the occasional player from Europe's Super League
. Before that players were sourced mostly from clubs in domestic New Zealand leagues.
The team first played in a 1907 professional rugby tour which pre-dated the birth of rugby league football in the Southern Hemisphere, making it the second oldest national side after England
. Since then the Kiwis have regularly competed in international competition, touring Europe and Australia throughout the 20th century. New Zealand have competed in every Rugby League World Cup
since the first in 1954, reaching the final of the past three tournaments. In 2008 New Zealand made history by winning the World Cup for the first time. They also contest the Baskerville Shield
against Great Britain
, and play an annual ANZAC Test
against Australia.
was introduced into New Zealand by Charles John Monro, son of the then speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives
, Sir David Monro. He had been sent to Christ's College, East Finchley in north London, where he became an enthusiastic convert to the new code. He brought the game back to his native Nelson, and arranged the first rugby match between Nelson College and Nelson Football Club, played on 14 May 1870.
When New Zealand's national rugby team (the All Blacks
) toured Britain in 1905 they witnessed the growing popularity of the breakaway non-amateur Northern Union
's games. On his return in 1906, All Black
George William Smith
met the Australian entrepreneur J J Giltinan
to discuss the potential of professional rugby in Australasia
. The first New Zealand team to play professional rugby was known as the All Blacks. To avoid confusion, the terms professional All Blacks or All Golds are used.
In the meantime, a lesser known New Zealand rugby player, Albert Henry Baskerville
(or Baskiville) was ready to recruit a group of players for a professional tour of Great Britain. It is believed that Baskerville became aware of the profits to be made from such a venture while he was working at the Wellington Post Office in 1906. A colleague had a coughing fit and dropped a British newspaper. Baskerville picked it up and noticed a report about a Northern Union (NU) match that over 40,000 people had attended.
Baskerville wrote to the NRFU asking if they would host a New Zealand touring party. The 1905 All Blacks tour were still fresh in English minds, thus the NU saw a competitive New Zealand tour as exceptional opportunity to raise the profile and finances of the NU game. The NU agreed to the tour provided that some of those original All Blacks were included in the New Zealand team. George Smith arrived back in New Zealand and after learning of Baskerville's plans, the two teamed up and began signing players.
The New Zealand Rugby Union became aware of the tour and promptly applied pressure to any All Black or New Zealand representative player it suspected of involvement. They had the New Zealand Government's Agent General in London deliver a statement to the British press in an effort to undermine the tour's credibility. This had little effect and by that time the professional All Blacks were already sailing across the Tasman to give Australia its first taste of professional rugby.
Clearly, "All Golds" was a play on the amateur "All Blacks" name but it was also an insult to the players, criticising the arrangement where they would each share in the wealth of the tour. The name "All Golds" is now thought to have originated in a New Zealand newspaper in May/June 1907 (see panel below), amidst editorial arguments over whether it was honourable for the proposed "professional All Blacks" team to be paid.
The first documented use in Australia was in a headline in the Sydney Morning Herald (7 August), just before Baskerville's team arrived. Interestingly, those same Herald articles also had a tag for those who supported the amateur rugby union calling them the "Lily Whites" (who were clean, pure, and repelled the evils of professionalism).
organised by Smith's contact, James Giltinan. The games drew little interest to start with, but were a major success for the rugby rebels of Australia, as they finally had the money to start the first professional Rugby Football League and hence change the face of rugby in Australia.
New Zealand finally made it to Great Britain in 1907. They included Australian Dally Messenger
in their party. He missed the first Test defeat, but played in the two Tests which the All Golds won. At this time professional rugby, under the banner of the Northern Union, was not played by the RFU rules which was all the All Golds knew. The All Golds took on a week of intensive training after which they started the tour. From a New Zealander's point of view, the tour may not have been successful, but to the All Gold's credit they performed well considering they only had a week to learn the rules. However, from the NU's point of view the tour would have been a godsend, because professional rugby was left in a better state than when they arrived. The tour's results were seen the following year when the NRFU clubs more than doubled their membership numbers. The tour had obviously excited the public, raised the profile of their game as well as the game's finances.
During their return voyage from England, the All Golds made a stop-over in Australia where they discovered that professional rugby was being played with Northern Union rules, under the banner of the New South Wales Rugby Football League (NSWRFL). The All Golds played another 10 games in Australia, boosting the finances of the fledging NSWRFL premiership; making the All Golds tour one of the most significant contributions to the sport of rugby league in Australia.
The All Golds were Hercules Richard "Bumper" Wright
(captain), George William Smith
(vice-captain), Albert Baskirville
(secretary), Herbert Turtill, Harold Rowe
, Duncan McGregor
, Dally Messenger
, Edgar Wrigley
, Joseph Lavery
, Richard Wynyard
, William Wynyard
, Lance Todd
, Edward Tyne
, William Tyler
, Arthur Kelly
, Tom "Angry" Cross
, William Massa Johnston
, Eric Watkins
, Conrad Byrne
, Adam Lile
, Daniel Gilchrist
, Arthur Callam, Charles Pearce, William Trevarthen
, Charles Dunning
, William Mackrell
, Daniel Fraser
(assistant manager), Jim Gleeson
(treasurer), and H.J. Palmer (financial manager).
saw the Kiwis' first ever test on home soil, with the British side proving too strong. In 1911 the New Zealand national team toured Australia.
The NZRU was able to control a lot of what the New Zealand Rugby League
(NZRL) was able to get its hands on. In 1926, the Union took legal action, trying to stop the League from using the name, the "All Blacks" as their touring name. The NZRL felt that they had equal ownership to the name and were not ready to relinquish it. However by this time the press had already nicknamed the team 'the Kiwis', because of the badge included on their jerseys. Despite the League trying to discourage its usage, the name has stuck ever since.
The 1926–27 New Zealand tour of Britain involved several skirmishes within the Kiwi party. Problems began on the boat journey over, with disputes developing about aspects of the trip and a rift developed between tour manager and coach, Mr Mair, an Australian and seven forwards. The disputes continued once the party arrived in Britain, with one of the rebels being involved in a street fight with another member of the tour party after the opening match. In mid-November, following further disturbances, which almost led to the tour party being evicted from their Harrogate
hotel, it was decided that coach Mair would withdraw from team selection and match tactics for a period of four weeks. The tour, and the costly disputes, continued, with the rebels eventually setting sail for home a week earlier than their colleagues. Three months later all seven players were banned for life by the New Zealand authorities. New Zealand did not visit Europe again until 1939.
In 1938, for a tour of Australia, the New Zealand Rugby League officially adopted the name the "New Zealand Kiwis". This side was also the first to wear a white "V" on their jerseys.
The Kiwis were unbeaten in any test series from 1948 to 1951 and won six of their nine tests. They toured England and France in 1951–52. New Zealand were hosted by France for the first ever World Cup match in 1954's inaugural tournament. They lost that match as well as the remaining two to finish last. In the 1957 World Cup
New Zealand got their first World Cup win, with victory against France in one of their three matches. The Kiwis got exactly the same result in the 1960 World Cup too.
During the 1961–63 era, New Zealand won seven out of ten test matches, including a 2–0 series win over Great Britain, then considered the top rugby league
nation in the world. The most outstanding performance by the New Zealanders was their record-breaking 19–0 win over Britain in 1962. It was only the second time a British team had been held scoreless. New Zealand in the period 1960-65 won the Courtney Goodwill Trophy for most successful test-playing nation,
The Kiwis again got a sole win against France from their three matches of the 1970 World Cup.
In 1971, the Kiwis embarked on a 34 match tour of England and France. While they only won half of the matches they played against English club teams, they won the test series 2-1 (winning the first test 18-13, the second 17-14 but losing the third 3-12). They won the series against France 2-0 (winning the first test 27-11, the second 24-2 but drawing the third 3-3).
In the 1972 World Cup
New Zealand failed to win a game. In the season-long 1975 World Series, New Zealand won 2 out of their 8 games, finishing second last. The 1977 World Cup brought the Kiwis the familiar result of a sole win against France. A World Cup rated Test took place on Sunday 7 July 1985 at Carlaw Park
. Australia’s 18–0 defeat was the first time they had failed to score in a Test against New Zealand.
On Tuesday 7 July 1987, New Zealand team warmed up for internationals against Papua New Guinea and Australia by taking on the Queensland state team at Lang Park, Brisbane. They then went on to record a 22–16 victory.
Australia crashed to a defeat on Tuesday 21 July 1987, when the Kangaroo dominance of the international game suffered a rare setback. New Zealand were their opponents in a match which had been arranged to fill the gap created by the non-appearance of France. New Zealand won the game 13–6. The next four internationals between Australia and New Zealand were all staged in New Zealand, and all were won by the Kangaroos. In 1988, New Zealand just pipped Great Britain 12-10 in a freezing encounter in Christchurch for a place in the final against Australia. Played at Eden Park in Auckland, it was the most hyped game in the history of rugby league in New Zealand, and the crowd of 47,363 was the biggest ever for a game in Auckland. Sadly for the Kiwis, the final proved to be a huge anti-climax and they were outplayed by the Aussies.
On 20 June 1993 the first all-professional, and all-overseas based, Kiwis side took the field against Australia. New Zealand almost got their revenge on Australia in the 1995 World Cup
semi-final when, with the scores level at 20–20, a last minute drop-goal attempt by skipper Matthew Ridge
brushed the wrong side of the post, allowing the game to go into extra-time. From there, Australia went on to win. Due to the NZRL's alignment with Super League, a New Zealand team selected only from Australasian based players competed in 1997's Super League Tri-series
against Queensland
and New South Wales
.
their biggest ever loss to again make the final in the 2000 World Cup
, but again went down to the Kangaroos 40–12. Gary Freeman coached New Zealand from 2001–02. Since 2002, a 'New Zealand A' team has been selected from players in the domestic New Zealand competition. New Zealand A toured France and the United States in 2002, and the United Kingdom in 2003. In 2004 they hosted New South Wales Country.
In 2003 the Kiwis played their 100th international against Australia.
Brian McClennan
was appointed national coach of New Zealand in June 2005. His appointment
was controversial, mainly because he had no top-level experience in the National Rugby League
or Super League
.
2005 would be considered one of the Kiwis greatest years, as they captured the 2005 Tri-Nations
title, effectively becoming "de facto" World champions as the three best countries compete in that competition. In the course of winning the Tri-Nations the Kiwis defeated Australia
in Sydney for the first time in half a century. In London the Kiwis posted their highest score ever against Great Britain
, and in winning the final posted the first shut out of Australia in 20 years. The 24–0 result at Elland Road
, Leeds
equalled the Kiwis' biggest ever win against Australia – a 49–25 win in Brisbane almost 50 years ago. It was Australia's first defeat in a series or tournament since 1978. In New Zealand, Brian McClennan
earned praise from the press and signed an extension to his coaching tenure with the Kiwis. In 2006 the Kiwis lost both mid-season tests to the Kangaroos
and Lions
. The 2006 Tri-nations
brought controversy when New Zealand fielded an ineligible player, Nathan Fien, against Great Britain and were later stripped of the two points earned from their 18–14 win.
In November 2010, The Kiwis' kicked off a new decade of International football with victory in the now remodelled Four Nations
competition. The final was off such intensity, it was widely noted as more intense then even State of Origin
matches. The Kiwis win was a thriller, with them behind 10-12 with two minutes left, after Benji Marshall
had missed a difficult equaliser. Marshall more than made up for this error in the next set of six by quickly drifting across the field, drawing defenders, then landing a pinpoint long cut-out ball to flying winger Jason Nightingale
; then after a series of miracle passes - Nathan Fien touched down, and New Zealand had snatched the game.
announced that Brian McClennan would be joining the club as Head Coach on a two year contract from 1 December 2007. McClennan subsequently resigned as national coach, his position was taken up by Gary Kemble
in August 2007.
the Kiwis went on to lose the first of their three test series against Great Britain going down 14–20 against the Lions at Huddersfield
on 27 October 2007. Following the loss an Australian newspaper reported that former Kiwi captain Hugh McGahan
was concerned at Kemble's poor start and suggested that former Australian and current Brisbane Broncos
coach Wayne Bennett should be pursued for the role. McGahan later claimed that his comments had been grossly misreported by the journalist.
In the second test of the series on 3 November 2007, Kemble returned to KC Stadium
, the ground on which he had spent a large portion of his playing days with Hull. It was to be a disastrous homecoming however as the Kiwis suffered their second humiliating defeat under Kemble when beaten 44–0 by an inspired Great Britain. The win gave Great Britain an unassailable series lead leaving the Kiwis with only pride to play for in the final test at JJB Stadium
in Wigan
.
Intense criticism followed the Second Test loss, some of it directed at the players, some of it toward the management of the NZRL
, however Kemble also copped severe criticism from some quarters with one commentator suggesting that Kemble "must be sacked at the series-end" and describing him as a "captain of calamity". Following the loss, Kiwi's captain Roy Asotasi
hinted at the possibility of internal issues for the players in adjusting to Kemble's coaching style when he compared Kemble's approach with that of his predecessor McClennan
describing them as "very different" and reporting that the group was "still trying to gel". Following the loss in an extremely frank admission Kemble acknowledged that he was contemplating resigning from his post if the Kiwis were whitewashed 3–0 by Great Britain.
Despite a far more spirited performance in the 3rd Test the Kiwis were unable to prevent the whitewash losing 22–28 after leading 12–0 early in the match. Kemble was forthright in expressing his desire to remain Kiwi coach following the loss with the general feeling being that the loss was "close enough" for him to retain the position. Kemble was the subject of some ridicule for post-match comments which suggested that the Kiwis "almost won the test series" despite an aggregated score of 92–36 across the three tests.
In December 2007 the NZRL held its annual awards dinner. Being one hundred years since the inception of rugby league in New Zealand, a 13-man New Zealand team of the century was named on the evening, with Cliff Johnson
named at captain. Mark Graham
was named in the second-row and was also honoured as the greatest Kiwi player of the century.
Kemble resigned as head coach after captain Roy Asotasi
and David Kidwell
both publicly said that they had no confidence in his coaching abilities. Subsequently former Kiwi, Stephen Kearney was appointed coach with Wayne Bennett given a role as an advisor.
The All Golds were revived again in 2008 as a testimonial match for Ruben Wiki, where they defeated the New Zealand Maori
team 44–10 at Yarrow Stadium
in New Plymouth
.
.
The 2008 Rugby League World Cup tournament was held in Australia from 26 October, culminating in the final between Australia and New Zealand on 22 November. It was the 13th staging of the World Cup since the inauguration of the tournament in 1954, and the first since the 2000 event. It was the fourth time that the tournament has been held in Australia, the first being in 1957. The tournament was won by New Zealand, being coached by Steve Kearney and Assistant Coach Wayne Bennett, who defeated Australia 34-20 in the final in one of the greatest upsets in the history of the sport.
The match started after a confrontational New Zealand haka, with Australia choosing to march forward to face the Kiwis rather than watching from the usual several metres away. New Zealand almost opened the scoring, Benji Marshall just knocking on in the in-goal area. Australia then struck with two quick tries to captain Darren Lockyer and David Williams, who was a mid-week replacement for the injured Brent Tate. Australia almost scored a third time, however Lockyer was ruled to have knocked on over the goal line in similar circumstances to Marshall's attempt. Australia looked to have full control of the game before Jeremy Smith opened the scoring for New Zealand by busting over right under the goal posts. Four minutes later New Zealand were in again, via an Anthony Laffranchi strip which led to a Jerome Ropati try. With only five minutes before the break, Lockyer scored to put Australia in front 16-12 at half time.
After half time it was the Kiwis who scored first when fullback Lance Hohaia slipped past Lockyer and beat Slater to score. Billy Slater then made a costly error to gift New Zealand their fourth try in the 65th minute. Having fielded a kick, Slater ran close to the touchline and under pressure when about to be pushed out of play, threw the ball backwards over his head in a futile attempt to keep the ball in play. But the ball fell towards Marshall who ran to score an easy try. The Kangaroos closed the gap to 22-20 with a Greg Inglis try before a controversial penalty try put New Zealand comfortably clear. A Nathan Fien kick into the in goal was mishandled by Joel Monaghan who then pulled the collar of Lance Hohaia, unfairly denying him a chance to ground the ball. Adam Blair then scored for New Zealand to seal the win, and the World Cup, for New Zealand.
The game was the Australian team's first loss since Great Britain defeated them in November 2006 and their first loss to New Zealand since November 2005. It was also their first loss in a World Cup match since 1995 and in a final since 1972.
Between 2002 and 2003 the New Zealand Residents
were referred to as New Zealand 'A
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League
New Zealand Rugby League
The New Zealand Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league football in New Zealand. The NZRL was founded on the 25 April 1910 in preparation for a tour of Great Britain that same year....
, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name
Kiwi
Kiwi are flightless birds endemic to New Zealand, in the genus Apteryx and family Apterygidae.At around the size of a domestic chicken, kiwi are by far the smallest living ratites and lay the largest egg in relation to their body size of any species of bird in the world...
. The team's colours are black with white and the players perform a haka
Haka
Haka is a traditional ancestral war cry, dance or challenge from the Māori people of New Zealand. It is a posture dance performed by a group, with vigorous movements and stamping of the feet with rhythmically shouted accompaniment...
before every match they play as a challenge to their opponents. The New Zealand Kiwis are the current World Cup
Rugby League World Cup
The Rugby League World Cup is an international rugby league competition contested by members of the Rugby League International Federation . It has been held nearly once every 4 years on average since its inaugural tournament in France in 1954...
-holders and Four Nations
2011 Rugby League Four Nations
The 2011 Rugby League Four Nations tournament was the third staging of the Rugby League Four Nations tournament and was played in England and Wales during October and November of 2011...
champions, and have unseated arch rivals Australia from their position as the dominant national rugby league team. Since the 1990s players for the team have been largely sourced from clubs in Australasia's National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
with the occasional player from Europe's Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
. Before that players were sourced mostly from clubs in domestic New Zealand leagues.
The team first played in a 1907 professional rugby tour which pre-dated the birth of rugby league football in the Southern Hemisphere, making it the second oldest national side after England
England national rugby league team
The England national rugby league team represent England in international rugby league football tournaments. The team has now seen a revival, having largely formed from the Great Britain team, who also represented Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The team is run under the auspices of the Rugby Football...
. Since then the Kiwis have regularly competed in international competition, touring Europe and Australia throughout the 20th century. New Zealand have competed in every Rugby League World Cup
Rugby League World Cup
The Rugby League World Cup is an international rugby league competition contested by members of the Rugby League International Federation . It has been held nearly once every 4 years on average since its inaugural tournament in France in 1954...
since the first in 1954, reaching the final of the past three tournaments. In 2008 New Zealand made history by winning the World Cup for the first time. They also contest the Baskerville Shield
Baskerville Shield
The Baskerville Shield is a trophy awarded to the winner of rugby league test series between Great Britain and New Zealand. It named in honour of Albert Henry Baskerville, who organised the first ever tour by New Zealand of Great Britain in 1907....
against Great Britain
Great Britain national rugby league team
The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
, and play an annual ANZAC Test
ANZAC Test
The Anzac Test is an annual rugby league football test match . The test match is played annually between Australia and New Zealand on or around Anzac Day for the Bill Kelly Memorial Trophy.-Origins:Australia and New Zealand had competed in Rugby League Tests since 1908...
against Australia.
History
Rugby footballRugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
was introduced into New Zealand by Charles John Monro, son of the then speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives
New Zealand House of Representatives
The New Zealand House of Representatives is the sole chamber of the legislature of New Zealand. The House and the Queen of New Zealand form the New Zealand Parliament....
, Sir David Monro. He had been sent to Christ's College, East Finchley in north London, where he became an enthusiastic convert to the new code. He brought the game back to his native Nelson, and arranged the first rugby match between Nelson College and Nelson Football Club, played on 14 May 1870.
When New Zealand's national rugby team (the All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
) toured Britain in 1905 they witnessed the growing popularity of the breakaway non-amateur Northern Union
Rugby Football League
The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
's games. On his return in 1906, All Black
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
George William Smith
George William Smith (New Zealand)
George William Smith was a New Zealand sportsman who excelled at track and field as well as both codes of rugby football.-Jockey:George was an extremely successful jockey and won the 1894 New Zealand Cup, riding Impulse...
met the Australian entrepreneur J J Giltinan
J J Giltinan
James Joseph Giltinan was an Australian entrepreneur who helped to found the sport of rugby league football in Australia.On 8 August 1907 at Bateman's Crystal Hotel, George Street, Sydney politician Henry Hoyle chaired a meeting of fifty, comprising several leading rugby players and officials...
to discuss the potential of professional rugby in Australasia
Australasia
Australasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...
. The first New Zealand team to play professional rugby was known as the All Blacks. To avoid confusion, the terms professional All Blacks or All Golds are used.
The professional All Blacks
Albert Henry Baskerville
Albert Henry Baskerville was a Wellington postal clerk, a rugby union forward, author of the book "Modern Rugby Football: New Zealand Methods; Points for the Beginner, the Player, the Spectator" and a pioneer of rugby league.-Rugby football:Prior to becoming the administrator of the 1908 tour...
(or Baskiville) was ready to recruit a group of players for a professional tour of Great Britain. It is believed that Baskerville became aware of the profits to be made from such a venture while he was working at the Wellington Post Office in 1906. A colleague had a coughing fit and dropped a British newspaper. Baskerville picked it up and noticed a report about a Northern Union (NU) match that over 40,000 people had attended.
Baskerville wrote to the NRFU asking if they would host a New Zealand touring party. The 1905 All Blacks tour were still fresh in English minds, thus the NU saw a competitive New Zealand tour as exceptional opportunity to raise the profile and finances of the NU game. The NU agreed to the tour provided that some of those original All Blacks were included in the New Zealand team. George Smith arrived back in New Zealand and after learning of Baskerville's plans, the two teamed up and began signing players.
The New Zealand Rugby Union became aware of the tour and promptly applied pressure to any All Black or New Zealand representative player it suspected of involvement. They had the New Zealand Government's Agent General in London deliver a statement to the British press in an effort to undermine the tour's credibility. This had little effect and by that time the professional All Blacks were already sailing across the Tasman to give Australia its first taste of professional rugby.
The All Golds
It was during this time that references to the professional All Blacks as the "All Golds" first appeared.Clearly, "All Golds" was a play on the amateur "All Blacks" name but it was also an insult to the players, criticising the arrangement where they would each share in the wealth of the tour. The name "All Golds" is now thought to have originated in a New Zealand newspaper in May/June 1907 (see panel below), amidst editorial arguments over whether it was honourable for the proposed "professional All Blacks" team to be paid.
The first documented use in Australia was in a headline in the Sydney Morning Herald (7 August), just before Baskerville's team arrived. Interestingly, those same Herald articles also had a tag for those who supported the amateur rugby union calling them the "Lily Whites" (who were clean, pure, and repelled the evils of professionalism).
The first tour
Professional rugby in the southern hemisphere kicked off with the professional All Blacks playing a professional rebel New South Wales teamNew South Wales rugby league team
The New South Wales rugby league team has represented the Australian state of New South Wales in rugby league football since the sport's beginnings there in 1907. Administered by the New South Wales Rugby League, the team competes in the annual State of Origin series against arch-rivals, the...
organised by Smith's contact, James Giltinan. The games drew little interest to start with, but were a major success for the rugby rebels of Australia, as they finally had the money to start the first professional Rugby Football League and hence change the face of rugby in Australia.
New Zealand finally made it to Great Britain in 1907. They included Australian Dally Messenger
Dally Messenger
Herbert Henry "Dally" Messenger was an Australian rugby union and rugby league footballer, recognised as one of the greatest ever players in either code. Messenger, or 'The Master' as he was dubbed, represented his country in both rugby football codes, playing two rugby union tests and seven...
in their party. He missed the first Test defeat, but played in the two Tests which the All Golds won. At this time professional rugby, under the banner of the Northern Union, was not played by the RFU rules which was all the All Golds knew. The All Golds took on a week of intensive training after which they started the tour. From a New Zealander's point of view, the tour may not have been successful, but to the All Gold's credit they performed well considering they only had a week to learn the rules. However, from the NU's point of view the tour would have been a godsend, because professional rugby was left in a better state than when they arrived. The tour's results were seen the following year when the NRFU clubs more than doubled their membership numbers. The tour had obviously excited the public, raised the profile of their game as well as the game's finances.
During their return voyage from England, the All Golds made a stop-over in Australia where they discovered that professional rugby was being played with Northern Union rules, under the banner of the New South Wales Rugby Football League (NSWRFL). The All Golds played another 10 games in Australia, boosting the finances of the fledging NSWRFL premiership; making the All Golds tour one of the most significant contributions to the sport of rugby league in Australia.
The All Golds were Hercules Richard "Bumper" Wright
Hercules Richard Wright
Hercules Richard "Bumper" Wright was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Early years:...
(captain), George William Smith
George William Smith (New Zealand)
George William Smith was a New Zealand sportsman who excelled at track and field as well as both codes of rugby football.-Jockey:George was an extremely successful jockey and won the 1894 New Zealand Cup, riding Impulse...
(vice-captain), Albert Baskirville
Albert Henry Baskerville
Albert Henry Baskerville was a Wellington postal clerk, a rugby union forward, author of the book "Modern Rugby Football: New Zealand Methods; Points for the Beginner, the Player, the Spectator" and a pioneer of rugby league.-Rugby football:Prior to becoming the administrator of the 1908 tour...
(secretary), Herbert Turtill, Harold Rowe
Harold Rowe
Harold Francis Rowe was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Rugby Football:...
, Duncan McGregor
Duncan McGregor
Duncan McGregor , was a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He was a member of the legendary 1905 Original All Blacks and went on the 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Rugby Football:...
, Dally Messenger
Dally Messenger
Herbert Henry "Dally" Messenger was an Australian rugby union and rugby league footballer, recognised as one of the greatest ever players in either code. Messenger, or 'The Master' as he was dubbed, represented his country in both rugby football codes, playing two rugby union tests and seven...
, Edgar Wrigley
Edgar Wrigley
Edgar Wrigley was a New Zealand rugby footballer who represented his country in both rugby union and rugby league.-Rugby Football:Wrigley played rugby union for the Red Star club in Masterton and between 1903 and 1907 he played 18 games for Wairarapa...
, Joseph Lavery
Joseph Lavery
Joseph Aloysius Lavery was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Rugby football:...
, Richard Wynyard
Richard Wynyard
John Richard "Dick" Wynyard was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain. Richard was the brother of William Wynyard.-Early years:...
, William Wynyard
William Wynyard
William "Billy" T. Wynyard was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain. He was the brother of Richard Wynyard.-Early years:...
, Lance Todd
Lance Todd
Lancelot Beaumont "Lance" Todd was a New Zealand-born rugby league footballer and manager of the early 20th century. As a player he represented his country in 1907 and 1908 and played in England for the Wigan and Dewsbury clubs...
, Edward Tyne
Edward Tyne
Edward "Hone" Tyne was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Rugby Football:...
, William Tyler
William Tyler (rugby league)
William "Bill" Thomas Tyler was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Rugby Football:...
, Arthur Kelly
Arthur Kelly (rugby league)
Arthur Frederick Kelly was a rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Rugby Football:...
, Tom "Angry" Cross
Tom Cross (rugby)
Tom "Angry" William Cross was a New Zealand rugby footballer who represented New Zealand in both rugby union and rugby league.-Rugby Football:...
, William Massa Johnston
Massa Johnston
William "Massa" Johnston was a New Zealand rugby union and rugby league international...
, Eric Watkins
Eric Watkins
Eric L. Watkins was a New Zealand rugby footballer who represented his country in both rugby union and rugby league.-Early years:...
, Conrad Byrne
Conrad Byrne
Conrad "Con" Augustus Byrne was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Early years:Originally from Nelson, Bryne was a farmer by trade...
, Adam Lile
Adam Lile
Adam "Addie" Lile was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Early years:...
, Daniel Gilchrist
Daniel Gilchrist
Daniel Gilchrist was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Rugby Football:...
, Arthur Callam, Charles Pearce, William Trevarthen
William Trevarthen
William "Bill" MacVay Trevarthen was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.- Rugby Football :...
, Charles Dunning
Charles Dunning (rugby league)
Charles Dunning was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Rugby football:...
, William Mackrell
William Mackrell
William "Bill" Henry Clifton Mackrell was a New Zealand rugby footballer who represented his country in both rugby union and rugby league. He was part of the 1905 The Original All Blacks tour and the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Rugby Football:Mackrell began...
, Daniel Fraser
Daniel Fraser (rugby league)
Daniel George Fraser was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Boer War:...
(assistant manager), Jim Gleeson
Jim Gleeson (rugby league)
James Collins "Jim" Gleeson was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Rugby Football:Gleeson was a rugby union scrum-half from the Hawkes Bay.-Rugby League:...
(treasurer), and H.J. Palmer (financial manager).
The Kiwis
The 1910 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand1910 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand
The 1910 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand was the first international tour of the Great Britain national rugby league team, "The Lions". They played the second ever Ashes series against Australia before travelling to Auckland to take on New Zealand...
saw the Kiwis' first ever test on home soil, with the British side proving too strong. In 1911 the New Zealand national team toured Australia.
The NZRU was able to control a lot of what the New Zealand Rugby League
New Zealand Rugby League
The New Zealand Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league football in New Zealand. The NZRL was founded on the 25 April 1910 in preparation for a tour of Great Britain that same year....
(NZRL) was able to get its hands on. In 1926, the Union took legal action, trying to stop the League from using the name, the "All Blacks" as their touring name. The NZRL felt that they had equal ownership to the name and were not ready to relinquish it. However by this time the press had already nicknamed the team 'the Kiwis', because of the badge included on their jerseys. Despite the League trying to discourage its usage, the name has stuck ever since.
The 1926–27 New Zealand tour of Britain involved several skirmishes within the Kiwi party. Problems began on the boat journey over, with disputes developing about aspects of the trip and a rift developed between tour manager and coach, Mr Mair, an Australian and seven forwards. The disputes continued once the party arrived in Britain, with one of the rebels being involved in a street fight with another member of the tour party after the opening match. In mid-November, following further disturbances, which almost led to the tour party being evicted from their Harrogate
Harrogate
Harrogate is a spa town in North Yorkshire, England. The town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa waters, RHS Harlow Carr gardens, and Betty's Tea Rooms. From the town one can explore the nearby Yorkshire Dales national park. Harrogate originated in the 17th...
hotel, it was decided that coach Mair would withdraw from team selection and match tactics for a period of four weeks. The tour, and the costly disputes, continued, with the rebels eventually setting sail for home a week earlier than their colleagues. Three months later all seven players were banned for life by the New Zealand authorities. New Zealand did not visit Europe again until 1939.
In 1938, for a tour of Australia, the New Zealand Rugby League officially adopted the name the "New Zealand Kiwis". This side was also the first to wear a white "V" on their jerseys.
Post-war
In 1947 at Bradford in England, a crowd of 42,680 saw New Zealand play, setting a new record for the team on British soil.The Kiwis were unbeaten in any test series from 1948 to 1951 and won six of their nine tests. They toured England and France in 1951–52. New Zealand were hosted by France for the first ever World Cup match in 1954's inaugural tournament. They lost that match as well as the remaining two to finish last. In the 1957 World Cup
1957 Rugby League World Cup
The second Rugby League World Cup was held in Australia in 1957. As before a group stage was held first, with matches being held at locations in Sydney and Brisbane....
New Zealand got their first World Cup win, with victory against France in one of their three matches. The Kiwis got exactly the same result in the 1960 World Cup too.
During the 1961–63 era, New Zealand won seven out of ten test matches, including a 2–0 series win over Great Britain, then considered the top rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
nation in the world. The most outstanding performance by the New Zealanders was their record-breaking 19–0 win over Britain in 1962. It was only the second time a British team had been held scoreless. New Zealand in the period 1960-65 won the Courtney Goodwill Trophy for most successful test-playing nation,
The Kiwis again got a sole win against France from their three matches of the 1970 World Cup.
In 1971, the Kiwis embarked on a 34 match tour of England and France. While they only won half of the matches they played against English club teams, they won the test series 2-1 (winning the first test 18-13, the second 17-14 but losing the third 3-12). They won the series against France 2-0 (winning the first test 27-11, the second 24-2 but drawing the third 3-3).
In the 1972 World Cup
1972 Rugby League World Cup
The sixth Rugby League World Cup was held in France in October and November of 1972. Australia started as the favourites to retain the trophy they had won just two years previously. New Zealand had beaten all three of the other nations in 1971 and France were expected to be tough opponents on their...
New Zealand failed to win a game. In the season-long 1975 World Series, New Zealand won 2 out of their 8 games, finishing second last. The 1977 World Cup brought the Kiwis the familiar result of a sole win against France. A World Cup rated Test took place on Sunday 7 July 1985 at Carlaw Park
Carlaw Park
Carlaw Park was a multi-purpose stadium in Parnell, a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand.-History:The stadium's grandstands and terraces were built in 1916, and it became the home of rugby league in Auckland from 1921...
. Australia’s 18–0 defeat was the first time they had failed to score in a Test against New Zealand.
On Tuesday 7 July 1987, New Zealand team warmed up for internationals against Papua New Guinea and Australia by taking on the Queensland state team at Lang Park, Brisbane. They then went on to record a 22–16 victory.
Australia crashed to a defeat on Tuesday 21 July 1987, when the Kangaroo dominance of the international game suffered a rare setback. New Zealand were their opponents in a match which had been arranged to fill the gap created by the non-appearance of France. New Zealand won the game 13–6. The next four internationals between Australia and New Zealand were all staged in New Zealand, and all were won by the Kangaroos. In 1988, New Zealand just pipped Great Britain 12-10 in a freezing encounter in Christchurch for a place in the final against Australia. Played at Eden Park in Auckland, it was the most hyped game in the history of rugby league in New Zealand, and the crowd of 47,363 was the biggest ever for a game in Auckland. Sadly for the Kiwis, the final proved to be a huge anti-climax and they were outplayed by the Aussies.
On 20 June 1993 the first all-professional, and all-overseas based, Kiwis side took the field against Australia. New Zealand almost got their revenge on Australia in the 1995 World Cup
1995 Rugby League World Cup
The 1995 Rugby League World Cup was held during October in the United Kingdom. It was the eleventh staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was marketed as the Halifax Centenary World Cup, reflecting the tournament's sponsorship and the fact that 1995 marked the 100th birthday of the sport...
semi-final when, with the scores level at 20–20, a last minute drop-goal attempt by skipper Matthew Ridge
Matthew Ridge
Matthew John Ridge is a New Zealand television presenter as well as a former All Black, and rugby league captain for the Manly Sea Eagles, New Zealand Warriors and Kiwis....
brushed the wrong side of the post, allowing the game to go into extra-time. From there, Australia went on to win. Due to the NZRL's alignment with Super League, a New Zealand team selected only from Australasian based players competed in 1997's Super League Tri-series
Super League Tri-series
The Super League Tri-series was a rugby league football tournament contested in 1997 between Queensland, New South Wales and New Zealand representative rugby league teams...
against Queensland
Queensland rugby league team
The Queensland rugby league team have represented the Australian state of Queensland in rugby league football since the sport's beginnings there in 1908...
and New South Wales
New South Wales rugby league team
The New South Wales rugby league team has represented the Australian state of New South Wales in rugby league football since the sport's beginnings there in 1907. Administered by the New South Wales Rugby League, the team competes in the annual State of Origin series against arch-rivals, the...
.
New Millennium
The Kiwis handed EnglandEngland national rugby league team
The England national rugby league team represent England in international rugby league football tournaments. The team has now seen a revival, having largely formed from the Great Britain team, who also represented Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The team is run under the auspices of the Rugby Football...
their biggest ever loss to again make the final in the 2000 World Cup
2000 Rugby League World Cup
The 2000 Rugby League World Cup was the twelfth staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was held during October and November of that year in Great Britain, Ireland and France...
, but again went down to the Kangaroos 40–12. Gary Freeman coached New Zealand from 2001–02. Since 2002, a 'New Zealand A' team has been selected from players in the domestic New Zealand competition. New Zealand A toured France and the United States in 2002, and the United Kingdom in 2003. In 2004 they hosted New South Wales Country.
In 2003 the Kiwis played their 100th international against Australia.
Brian McClennan
Brian McClennan
Brian "Bluey" McClennan is the head coach for the New Zealand Warriors of the National Rugby League . He was previously the head coach of the New Zealand national team and then England's Leeds Rhinos club...
was appointed national coach of New Zealand in June 2005. His appointment
was controversial, mainly because he had no top-level experience in the National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
or Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
.
2005 would be considered one of the Kiwis greatest years, as they captured the 2005 Tri-Nations
2005 Rugby League Tri-Nations
New Zealand 38 defeated Australia 28 New Zealand 38 (C. Toopi 3, N. Cayless, N. Vangana, B. Webb tries; S. Jones 7 goals) defeated Australia 28 New Zealand 38 (C. Toopi 3, N. Cayless, N. Vangana, B. Webb tries; S. Jones 7 goals) defeated Australia 28 (B. Tate 2, M.Gasnier 2, M. King, A. Johns...
title, effectively becoming "de facto" World champions as the three best countries compete in that competition. In the course of winning the Tri-Nations the Kiwis defeated Australia
Australian national rugby league team
The Australian national rugby league team have represented Australia in senior men's rugby league football competition since the establishment of the game in Australia in 1908. Administered by the Australian Rugby League, the Kangaroos' are ranked number one in the RLIF World Rankings...
in Sydney for the first time in half a century. In London the Kiwis posted their highest score ever against Great Britain
Great Britain national rugby league team
The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
, and in winning the final posted the first shut out of Australia in 20 years. The 24–0 result at Elland Road
Elland Road
Elland Road is an all-seater football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has been the permanent residence of Leeds United A.F.C...
, Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
equalled the Kiwis' biggest ever win against Australia – a 49–25 win in Brisbane almost 50 years ago. It was Australia's first defeat in a series or tournament since 1978. In New Zealand, Brian McClennan
Brian McClennan
Brian "Bluey" McClennan is the head coach for the New Zealand Warriors of the National Rugby League . He was previously the head coach of the New Zealand national team and then England's Leeds Rhinos club...
earned praise from the press and signed an extension to his coaching tenure with the Kiwis. In 2006 the Kiwis lost both mid-season tests to the Kangaroos
Australian national rugby league team
The Australian national rugby league team have represented Australia in senior men's rugby league football competition since the establishment of the game in Australia in 1908. Administered by the Australian Rugby League, the Kangaroos' are ranked number one in the RLIF World Rankings...
and Lions
Great Britain national rugby league team
The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
. The 2006 Tri-nations
2006 Rugby League Tri-Nations
The 2006 Rugby League Tri-Nations was hosted for the second time by Australia and New Zealand. Sponsored by Gillette the tournament followed the same format as in 2004 and 2005, with each team meeting the other two teams twice, and the top two teams at the end of the group stages proceeding to the...
brought controversy when New Zealand fielded an ineligible player, Nathan Fien, against Great Britain and were later stripped of the two points earned from their 18–14 win.
In November 2010, The Kiwis' kicked off a new decade of International football with victory in the now remodelled Four Nations
2011 Rugby League Four Nations
The 2011 Rugby League Four Nations tournament was the third staging of the Rugby League Four Nations tournament and was played in England and Wales during October and November of 2011...
competition. The final was off such intensity, it was widely noted as more intense then even State of Origin
Rugby League State of Origin
State of Origin is an annual best of three series of rugby league football matches contested by the Maroons and the Blues, who represent the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales respectively...
matches. The Kiwis win was a thriller, with them behind 10-12 with two minutes left, after Benji Marshall
Benji Marshall
Benji Marshall is a professional rugby league footballer with the Wests Tigers of the National Rugby League . A goal-kicking five-eighth, he is the current captain of the New Zealand national team, with whom he won the 2008 World Cup and 2010 Four Nations tournaments...
had missed a difficult equaliser. Marshall more than made up for this error in the next set of six by quickly drifting across the field, drawing defenders, then landing a pinpoint long cut-out ball to flying winger Jason Nightingale
Jason Nightingale
Jason Nightingale is a professional rugby league footballer for the St. George Illawarra Dragons of the Australian National Rugby League...
; then after a series of miracle passes - Nathan Fien touched down, and New Zealand had snatched the game.
Centenary
In July 2007 Leeds RhinosLeeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...
announced that Brian McClennan would be joining the club as Head Coach on a two year contract from 1 December 2007. McClennan subsequently resigned as national coach, his position was taken up by Gary Kemble
Gary Kemble
Gary Edward Kemble is a New Zealand rugby league coach and former player. He has both played and coached the New Zealand Kiwis. He is the current head coach of the Papakura Sea Eagles in the Auckland Rugby League.-Playing career:...
in August 2007.
All-Golds revival
Under Gary KembleGary Kemble
Gary Edward Kemble is a New Zealand rugby league coach and former player. He has both played and coached the New Zealand Kiwis. He is the current head coach of the Papakura Sea Eagles in the Auckland Rugby League.-Playing career:...
the Kiwis went on to lose the first of their three test series against Great Britain going down 14–20 against the Lions at Huddersfield
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....
on 27 October 2007. Following the loss an Australian newspaper reported that former Kiwi captain Hugh McGahan
Hugh McGahan
Hugh Joseph McGahan MBE is a former rugby league footballer and coach who represented New Zealand...
was concerned at Kemble's poor start and suggested that former Australian and current Brisbane Broncos
Brisbane Broncos
The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the city of Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland. Founded in 1988, the Broncos play in Australasia's elite competition, the National Rugby League premiership. They have won six premierships and two...
coach Wayne Bennett should be pursued for the role. McGahan later claimed that his comments had been grossly misreported by the journalist.
In the second test of the series on 3 November 2007, Kemble returned to KC Stadium
KC Stadium
The KC Stadium, often shortened to the KC, is a multi-purpose facility in the city of Kingston upon Hull , England. Conceived as early as the late 1990s, it was completed in 2002 at a cost of approximately £44 million. It is named after the stadium's sponsors, telecommunications provider KC,...
, the ground on which he had spent a large portion of his playing days with Hull. It was to be a disastrous homecoming however as the Kiwis suffered their second humiliating defeat under Kemble when beaten 44–0 by an inspired Great Britain. The win gave Great Britain an unassailable series lead leaving the Kiwis with only pride to play for in the final test at JJB Stadium
JJB Stadium
The DW Stadium is a sports stadium in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England, that is home to Wigan Athletic football club and Wigan Warriors rugby league club....
in Wigan
Wigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
.
Intense criticism followed the Second Test loss, some of it directed at the players, some of it toward the management of the NZRL
New Zealand Rugby League
The New Zealand Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league football in New Zealand. The NZRL was founded on the 25 April 1910 in preparation for a tour of Great Britain that same year....
, however Kemble also copped severe criticism from some quarters with one commentator suggesting that Kemble "must be sacked at the series-end" and describing him as a "captain of calamity". Following the loss, Kiwi's captain Roy Asotasi
Roy Asotasi
Roy Asotasi is a professional rugby league footballer who currently captains the South Sydney Rabbitohs of the National Rugby League. A New Zealand international representative prop forward, he previously played for the Bulldogs, with whom he won the 2004 NRL Premiership...
hinted at the possibility of internal issues for the players in adjusting to Kemble's coaching style when he compared Kemble's approach with that of his predecessor McClennan
Brian McClennan
Brian "Bluey" McClennan is the head coach for the New Zealand Warriors of the National Rugby League . He was previously the head coach of the New Zealand national team and then England's Leeds Rhinos club...
describing them as "very different" and reporting that the group was "still trying to gel". Following the loss in an extremely frank admission Kemble acknowledged that he was contemplating resigning from his post if the Kiwis were whitewashed 3–0 by Great Britain.
Despite a far more spirited performance in the 3rd Test the Kiwis were unable to prevent the whitewash losing 22–28 after leading 12–0 early in the match. Kemble was forthright in expressing his desire to remain Kiwi coach following the loss with the general feeling being that the loss was "close enough" for him to retain the position. Kemble was the subject of some ridicule for post-match comments which suggested that the Kiwis "almost won the test series" despite an aggregated score of 92–36 across the three tests.
In December 2007 the NZRL held its annual awards dinner. Being one hundred years since the inception of rugby league in New Zealand, a 13-man New Zealand team of the century was named on the evening, with Cliff Johnson
Cliff Johnson (rugby league)
Clifford Raymond Johnson was a New Zealand rugby league footballer who has been named one of the finest the country produced during the 20th century. An international representative, he played mainly as a prop forward.-Playing career:...
named at captain. Mark Graham
Mark Graham (rugby league)
Mark Kerry Graham is a New Zealand retired rugby league footballer and coach. A back-rower and former captain of the New Zealand national rugby league team, he has been named as the greatest player the country has produced in the century from 1907 to 2006.-Playing career:An Otahahu junior, Graham...
was named in the second-row and was also honoured as the greatest Kiwi player of the century.
Kemble resigned as head coach after captain Roy Asotasi
Roy Asotasi
Roy Asotasi is a professional rugby league footballer who currently captains the South Sydney Rabbitohs of the National Rugby League. A New Zealand international representative prop forward, he previously played for the Bulldogs, with whom he won the 2004 NRL Premiership...
and David Kidwell
David Kidwell
David Kidwell is a retired professional rugby league footballer who represented his country. Kidwell was a member of the 2005 Tri-Nations and 2008 World Cup winning New Zealand teams, which defeated Australia in both competitions' respective finals...
both publicly said that they had no confidence in his coaching abilities. Subsequently former Kiwi, Stephen Kearney was appointed coach with Wayne Bennett given a role as an advisor.
The All Golds were revived again in 2008 as a testimonial match for Ruben Wiki, where they defeated the New Zealand Maori
New Zealand Maori rugby league team
-See also:* New Zealand national rugby league team* New Zealand Māori rugby union team* New Zealand Māori cricket team-External links:* Google Books...
team 44–10 at Yarrow Stadium
Yarrow Stadium
Yarrow Stadium is situated in the central suburb of Westown in New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand, with main vehicle access off Maratahu St...
in New Plymouth
New Plymouth
New Plymouth is the major city of the Taranaki Region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after Plymouth, Devon, England, from where the first English settlers migrated....
.
2008 Rugby League World Cup
New Zealand were granted automatic qualification to the 2008 World Cup2008 Rugby League World Cup
The 2008 Rugby League World Cup was the thirteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup since the inauguration of the tournament in 1954, and the first since the 2000 event...
.
The 2008 Rugby League World Cup tournament was held in Australia from 26 October, culminating in the final between Australia and New Zealand on 22 November. It was the 13th staging of the World Cup since the inauguration of the tournament in 1954, and the first since the 2000 event. It was the fourth time that the tournament has been held in Australia, the first being in 1957. The tournament was won by New Zealand, being coached by Steve Kearney and Assistant Coach Wayne Bennett, who defeated Australia 34-20 in the final in one of the greatest upsets in the history of the sport.
The match started after a confrontational New Zealand haka, with Australia choosing to march forward to face the Kiwis rather than watching from the usual several metres away. New Zealand almost opened the scoring, Benji Marshall just knocking on in the in-goal area. Australia then struck with two quick tries to captain Darren Lockyer and David Williams, who was a mid-week replacement for the injured Brent Tate. Australia almost scored a third time, however Lockyer was ruled to have knocked on over the goal line in similar circumstances to Marshall's attempt. Australia looked to have full control of the game before Jeremy Smith opened the scoring for New Zealand by busting over right under the goal posts. Four minutes later New Zealand were in again, via an Anthony Laffranchi strip which led to a Jerome Ropati try. With only five minutes before the break, Lockyer scored to put Australia in front 16-12 at half time.
After half time it was the Kiwis who scored first when fullback Lance Hohaia slipped past Lockyer and beat Slater to score. Billy Slater then made a costly error to gift New Zealand their fourth try in the 65th minute. Having fielded a kick, Slater ran close to the touchline and under pressure when about to be pushed out of play, threw the ball backwards over his head in a futile attempt to keep the ball in play. But the ball fell towards Marshall who ran to score an easy try. The Kangaroos closed the gap to 22-20 with a Greg Inglis try before a controversial penalty try put New Zealand comfortably clear. A Nathan Fien kick into the in goal was mishandled by Joel Monaghan who then pulled the collar of Lance Hohaia, unfairly denying him a chance to ground the ball. Adam Blair then scored for New Zealand to seal the win, and the World Cup, for New Zealand.
The game was the Australian team's first loss since Great Britain defeated them in November 2006 and their first loss to New Zealand since November 2005. It was also their first loss in a World Cup match since 1995 and in a final since 1972.
2011 Squad
New Zealand Squad for the 2011 Four Nations:Notable past players
Team of the Century (1907–2006)New Zealand A
- New Zealand A def. Australian Invitational XIII 48–18 (22 October 2006)
- New Zealand A def. Australian Invitational XIII 40–16 (15 October 2005)
Between 2002 and 2003 the New Zealand Residents
New Zealand Residents rugby league team
The New Zealand Residents are a New Zealand rugby league football representative side that is selected from players competing in domestic competitions.-History:In 1977 Dane Sorensen became the first New Zealander to be...
were referred to as New Zealand 'A
- National League 1 Representative def. New Zealand A 40–28 (2 November 2003)
- Great BritainGreat Britain national rugby league teamThe Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
def. New Zealand A 52–18 (29 October 2003) - Warrington WolvesWarrington WolvesWarrington Wolves are a professional rugby league football club based in Warrington, England that competes in Super League. They play at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, having moved there from Wilderspool in 2003....
def. New Zealand A 28–26 (26 October 2003) - National League 2 Representative def. New Zealand A 27–6 (22 October 2003)
- New Zealand A drew CumbriaCumbriaCumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
24–24 (19 October 2003) - New Zealand A def. USAUnited States national rugby league team-2008 & 2013 Rugby League World Cup Qualifying:In October 2006, The Tomahawks were to participate in a four team Atlantic qualifying pool for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup, but South Africa and the West Indies withdrew. As a result, The Atlantic qualifying pool was reduced to a single game...
74–4 (6 October 2002) - FranceFrance national rugby league teamThe France national rugby league team represent France in international rugby league tournaments. They are also sometimes referred to as "Les Tricolores" or more commonly "Les Chanticleers"...
def. New Zealand A (29 September 2002)
See also
- New Zealand Rugby LeagueNew Zealand Rugby LeagueThe New Zealand Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league football in New Zealand. The NZRL was founded on the 25 April 1910 in preparation for a tour of Great Britain that same year....
- Rugby league in New ZealandRugby league in New ZealandRugby league in New Zealand dates back to the very beginning of the sport in England. It is today a popular team sport played in New Zealand with participation and interest considered to be concentrated in the Auckland region. There are around 22,000 registered rugby league players in New...
- 2007 All Golds Celebrations
- New Zealand Māori rugby league teamNew Zealand Maori rugby league team-See also:* New Zealand national rugby league team* New Zealand Māori rugby union team* New Zealand Māori cricket team-External links:* Google Books...
- New Zealand national rugby union team