"the All Blacks, has the best winning record of any national team in the world, and is currently ranked first in the world. The All Blacks won the first Rugby World Cup in 1987, and again on home soil in 2011. They won their third World Cup in 2015 in England, becoming the first holders to successfully defend their title. The All Blacks traditionally perform a ""haka"", a Māori challenge, at the start of international matches. This practice has been mimicked by several other national teams, notably the national rugby league team, and the basketball teams. Outside Test matches, there"
"tests from the NZRU when they returned to New Zealand. Allegations that players received payment for the tour were never proved. New Zealand hosted and won the inaugural World Cup in 1987 beating France 29–9 in the final. New Zealand conceded only 52 points and scored 43 tries in six games en route to the title, beating Italy, Fiji, Argentina, Scotland, Wales and France. By the 1991 World Cup New Zealand were an ageing side, co-coached by Alex Wyllie and John Hart. After beating hosts England in the tournament opener, they struggled during pool matches against the United States and"
"World Cup in 1987. The style of name has been followed in naming the national team in several other sports. For instance, the nation's basketball team is known as the Tall Blacks. Horseracing was also a popular spectator sport and became part of the ""rugby, racing and beer"" culture during the 1960s. Many New Zealanders either play or support their local rugby team and the All Blacks are national icons. Some have argued that rugby is a national religion. Pre-Colonial native Māori religion was polytheistic. One of its major features was tapu (sacred and/or forbidden), which was used to maintain"
"in New Zealand's domestic competition, the Heartland Championship, is named in his honour. On Waitangi Day (6 February) 2007, Lochore was inducted into the Order of New Zealand as an additional member; the Order of New Zealand is the country's highest honour. In his biography, Sir Colin Meads wrote: ""at the peak of his career, from 1966 through to 1969, he was everything I would want in a number 8. He spared himself, not an ounce working away in the tight-loose, covering, winning us great lineout ball in the deep, backing and filling and playing his part in the rolling"
"was playing for a World XV (dubbed “The Rest”) containing players from Australia, New Zealand , South Africa and France to be coached by Brian Lochore, that played against the British Lions, after the Lions 1986 tour to South Africa had been cancelled. The World XV contained: 15. Serge Blanco (France), 14. John Kirwan (New Zealand), 13. Andrew Slack (Australia), 12. Michael Lynagh (Australia), 11. Patrick Estève (France), 10. Wayne Smith (New Zealand), 9. Nick Farr-Jones (Australia), 8. Murray Mexted (New Zealand), 7. Simon Poidevin (Australia), 6. Mark Shaw (New Zealand), 5. Burger Geldenhuys (South Africa), 4. Steve Cutler (Australia),"
"New Zealand on 22 May 1987. The match proved a one-sided affair with New Zealand convincing 70–6 winners against a young Italian side. John Kirwan, later to become the Italian national coach, scored one of the tournament's greatest-ever tries for the All Blacks. Italy beat Fiji but lost to Argentina and finished third in their pool, failing to make the finals. In 1988, they played Ireland for the first time. At the 1991 World Cup, Italy were grouped in a tough pool with the likes of England and the All Blacks. They lost both of these games but beat the"
"Zealand and Australia in the summer of 1987. John Rutherford, the team's general and controlling influence, had injured his knee on an unauthorised tour of Bermuda. He broke down after less than a quarter of an hour of the first World Cup match against France and never played for Scotland again. Scotland had been in the lead but the match finished level. Scotland lost to New Zealand in the quarter-final. On 27 June 1988, Ian McGeechan was appointed as head coach to succeed Derrick Grant who had retired after the end of the 1988 Five Nations series. Their greatest year"
"also participated in the World Cup, losing to Samoa and Ireland but defeating Scotland. Earlier in the year they had participated in a three match series against Fiji, defeating them 3-0. New Zealand Māori were coached by Cameron Bell and included Billy Weepu, Hare Te Rangi, Steve Berryman, Boycie Nelson, Solomon Kiri and Doc Murray. The World Cup squad was captained by Tawera Nikau and included Alex Chan, Jamie Cookthcote, Luke Goodwin, Terry Hermansson, Sean Hoppe, David Kidwell, Toa Kohe-Love, Wairangi Koopu, Kylie Leuluai, Odell Manuel, Martin Moana, Jared Mills, Chris Nahi, Boycie Nelson, Gene Ngamu, Henry Perenara, Paul Rauhihi,"
"They then lost the second Test match 22-24, a match which counted towards the 1988 World Cup. Lowe resigned in August and Tony Gordon was appointed coach in September. Howie Tamati captained the New Zealand Universities side in the first World University Cup. The New Zealand side defeated Australia 14-10 in the final to win the trophy. The side also included John, Peter, Iva and Tea Ropati. The New Zealand Māori side competed in the Pacific Cup, winning the tournament by defeating Western Samoa 23 - 6 in the final. Coached by Richard Bolton, the squad included Gary Mercer, Dave"
"Richard Bolton (rugby league) Richard Keith Bolton is a New Zealand former rugby league footballer, manager, and coach who represented New Zealand. Bolton was an Auckland representative and played in one Test match for the New Zealand national rugby league team, the second Test against Australia in 1972. He captained the New Zealand Māori side which won the 1975 Pacific Cup. After retirement Bolton turned to coaching. He coached the New Zealand Māori side to wins in the 1986 and 1988 Pacific Cups, and also coached Waikato in 1987 and 1988. During this time, Bolton also served on the New"
"John Kirwan (rugby) Sir John James Patrick Kirwan (born 16 December 1964) is a New Zealand rugby union coach and former player of both rugby union and rugby league. He scored 35 tries in 63 tests for New Zealand, making him one of the highest try scorers in international rugby union history, and was part of the New Zealand team that won the first Rugby World Cup in 1987. He also played rugby league for the Auckland Warriors in their first two seasons. He is the former head coach of the Blues in Super Rugby, and the Japan and Italy"
"he just wanted to play for his family, and grow the game in the Pacific Island nation. Former New Zealand coach, Graham Lowe, and former New Zealand captain, Benji Marshall, hit out at Taumalolo for his decision. New Zealand began the World Cup with convincing victories over both Samoa, and Scotland. In their final pool match, they took on the 'most-talked about team of the tournament', Tonga. After leading 16–2 at halftime, New Zealand created unwanted history, becoming the first tier-1 nation to lose to a tier-2 nation in a World Cup match. New Zealand then took on Fiji in"
"the French were unable to tour Australasia that year due to financial difficulties. The Tony Gordon coached New Zealand started their World Cup campaign on 7 July 1985 (under the coaching of Graham Lowe) when they defeated Australia 18–0 at Carlaw Park in Auckland. Until the Final, The Kiwis won another 3 games while losing 2 and drawing 1 for a 4-2-1 record. Australia began their World Cup campaign with a shock 18-0 loss to New Zealand in the third test of the 1985 Trans-Tasman series in Auckland on 7 July 1985 (under the coaching of 1977 World Cup Final"
"of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to mental health and rugby. Also in 2012, Kirwan was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame. John Kirwan (rugby) Sir John James Patrick Kirwan (born 16 December 1964) is a New Zealand rugby union coach and former player of both rugby union and rugby league. He scored 35 tries in 63 tests for New Zealand, making him one of the highest try scorers in international rugby union history, and was part of the New Zealand team that won the first Rugby World Cup in 1987. He also played"
"Canterbury won the National Provincial Championship (NPC) in 1983, and also recorded victories against international teams such as the British Lions in 1983 and the Wallabies in 1986. In the 1986 New Year Honours, Wyllie was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire, for services to rugby football. Wyllie became a national selector in 1986 and he and his Auckland rival John Hart had significant roles as assistant coaches to Brian Lochore when the All Blacks won the 1987 Rugby World Cup. In 1988 Wyllie succeeded Lochore as coach, much to the annoyance of many, especially in"
"Jordan, Dave Sorensen, John Smith, John Wilson, Glenn Taylor, Lyndsay Proctor, Kurt Sorensen, Alan McCarthy, Mark Graham, Dave Lepper, Dane O'Hara, Fred Ah Kuoi, Stan Napa, Luther Toloa and Mark Lowe. New Zealand also hosted the Pacific Cup. The New Zealand Māori side defended their title, beating Western Australia 35-12 in the final at Carlaw Park. Coached by Tom Newton, the New Zealand Māori squad included Dick Uluave, James Leuluai, Dennis Key, Rick Muru, John Wilson, Josh Liavaa and Ian Bell. The Pacific Cup was not a financial success and was not held again until 1986. The Auckland under 21"
"to play rugby union semi-professionally at Blackheath, but he also took up teaching, becoming headteacher at Colfe's Preparatory School in south-east London. In 1996 he represented Ireland 'A', playing in the centre. John Gallagher (rugby) John Anthony Gallagher (born 29 January 1964) is a former rugby union and rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 1990s. He played international rugby union for New Zealand as a fullback, winning the World Cup in 1987. In 1990 he moved to rugby league, playing for Leeds, and the as a . Gallagher was born in Lewisham, London to Irish parents. A father from"
"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 the final Test match of the 1988 Great Britain Lions tour, New Zealand just pipped the British 12–10 in a freezing encounter in Christchurch"
"the New Zealand national rugby league team in 1985. He was involved in 11 games on that tour but did not feature in any of the Test matches. He moved to Wellington club Upper Hutt in 1986 and went on to represent the district in 10 provincial matches between 1986 and 1987. He represented the New Zealand Māori in the 1986 Pacific Cup. He made his Test début in 1987 against Papua New Guinea at Goroka and Port Moresby before taking on the Australians in 1987 in which the Kiwis scored a famous 13–6 win over the world champions at"
"and President of the Oceania Region Coaching. During his time at the AIS he was assistant coach of the Australia national basketball team to Lindsay Gaze at the 1982 FIBA World Championships and the 1984 Olympic Games. He was appointed as the head coach of the Australian Men's team in 1985 and coached the Boomers at the 1988 and 1992 Summer Olympics and the 1986 and 1990 FIBA World Championships. In 1987 he coached the AIS women's team to the title at the Australian Women's Club Championships. At the 1988 Olympics he was the first Australian Men's team coach to"
"in 1987 and South Africa in 1995). It was the largest sporting event ever held in New Zealand, eclipsing the 1987 Rugby World Cup, 1990 Commonwealth Games, 1992 Cricket World Cup and the 2003 America's Cup. Overseas visitors to New Zealand for the event totalled 133,000, more than the 95,000 that the organisers expected. However, there was a drop in non-event visitors, meaning the net increase in visitors over the previous year was less than 80,000. The games ran over six weeks, commencing on 9 September 2011 with the Opening Ceremony showcasing New Zealand's history and diverse cultures. The final"
"Grade at Glenmore Park Brumbies J.R.L.F.C Mark Horo Mark Gregory Horo (born 27 March 1963) is a New Zealand rugby league coach and former footballer of the 1980s and 1990s. A New Zealand international representative, he played club football in New Zealand for Te Atatu and in Australia for Parramatta and Wests before finishing his career back in Auckland with the Warriors. Horo currently coached in New South Wales and is the co-coach of the New Zealand Māori team. His son Justin Horo currently plays for the Wakefield Trinity. Horo played at the 1985-1988 Rugby League World Cup and the"
"New Zealand national rugby league team in 1985 and went on to play in eleven test matches. He was the only non-professional player in the 1988 World Cup Final loss to Australia, his last game for New Zealand. Wallace became player-coach of Hornby before retiring as a player to become a full-time coach. In 1994 Wallace coached the Christchurch City Shiners in their debut season in the Lion Red Cup. Wallace's Hornby side won the 1997 Pat Smith Challenge Trophy, defeating Papanui. They won the Massetti Cup (minor premiership) the next year but could not defend the title. Wayne Wallace"
"Cup three times, the only team to have done so. They beat France in the final of the 1987 inaugural competition held in New Zealand and Australia, defeated France again in the final of the 2011 tournament, also hosted in New Zealand, and most recently defeated Australia in England in 2015, making them the first and only team to win the World Cup in consecutive tournaments. In 1991, they lost their semi-final to Australia before winning the playoff for third. In 1995, they reached the final, before losing in extra time to hosts South Africa. They finished in fourth place"
"as of the opening day of the tournament on 22 May 1987. Below is a table listing all the head coaches and captains for each nation. Head Coach: Alan Jones Head Coach: George Hook / Ron Mayes Head Coach: Martin Green Head Coach: Katsumi Miyaji Head Coach: Tony Gray Head Coach: Gary Johnston Head Coaches: Mick Doyle (replaced by Syd Millar) / Jim Davidson Head Coach: Mailefihi Tuku'aho Head Coaches: Brian Lochore Head Coaches: Josateki Sovau and George Simpkin Head Coach: Marco Bollesan Head coaches: Héctor Silva/Ángel Guastella Before the match against New Zealand, Martín Yangüela withdrew due to an"
"as well. The 1987 Rugby World Cup was hosted by both Australia and New Zealand. 32 matches were played from over a period of 22 May to 20 June. The tournament featured one African nation, three American nations, one Asian nation, seven European nations and four Oceanic nations. One notable omission was the Springboks who were not competing due to the international sports boycott. Seven places were automatically filled by the IRFB members, with invitations being sent out to fill remaining places. In total there were 16 nations in the competition. France played Australia in one of the semi-finals with"
"an individual in international rugby league. The sellout crowd of 11,685 also set a ground attendance record at Wagga Wagga's Eric Weissel Oval. France's 1987 away fixtures against Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea were scratched and each team awarded two points as the French were unable to tour Australasia that year due to financial difficulties. The 1985–1988 Rugby League World Cup saw New Zealand play Australia in the World Cup final, the culmination of four years of competition. The Final was played at the spiritual home of rugby union in New Zealand, Auckland's Eden Park. It was the"
"an individual in international rugby league (30 points – 4 tries, 7 goals). Also in 1988, as part of the bicentenary celebrations, Australia played a one off test match against Rest Of The World at the Sydney Football Stadium, winning the one off test 22-10. The 1985–1988 Rugby League World Cup culminated in the World Cup Final against New Zealand at Auckland's Eden Park ground (the home of NZ rugby union). Australia won a brutal World Cup Final 25–12 in front of 47,363. Captain Wally Lewis broke his arm during the game. In 1989 the Kangaroos toured New Zealand, taking"
"New Zealand won the first match 22-6 before drawing the second 16-all. The Kiwis then played a three match series in Australia, losing all three matches; 8-26, 10-20 and 10-46 respectively. New Zealand was coached by Frank Endacott and included; Richard Blackmore, Logan Edwards, Syd Eru, Gary Freeman, Daryl Halligan, Sean Hoppe, Tony Iro, Stephen Kearney, John Lomax, Jason Lowrie, Jarrod McCracken, Gene Ngamu, Henry Paul, Quentin Pongia, Matthew Ridge, Brent Stuart, Tony Tatupu, John Timu, Tony Tuimavave, Brendon Tuuta, Ruben Wiki and Jason Williams. New Zealand then headed to England for the World Cup. They finished first in their"
"of a new nation, Papua New Guinea. The ""Kumuls"" performed creditably, particularly when playing in the front of their fiercely patriotic home crowd, while France were unable to fulfil their 1987 tour of Australasia due to financial difficulties, and had to forfeit away fixtures against Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. At the end of four years, Australia finished top of the table, and, through a victory over Great Britain in Christchurch, the Kiwis qualified to join them in the final. Despite finishing top of the table, poor international attendances since the mid-1970s (since 1974, the Kangaroos had only"
"from the Brisbane Rugby League competition. By being named as tour captain, Wally Lewis became the first Queenslander to captain a Kangaroo Tour since Tom Gorman in 1929/30. Australia crashed to a defeat on Tuesday 21 July 1987, when the Kangaroo dominance of the international game suffered a setback. New Zealand were their opponents in a match at Lang Park 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"
"two World Cups)(Currently tied with South Africa's Bryan Habana), Marc Ellis with most tries in a match (6 versus Japan in 1995), Grant Fox with most points in one tournament (126 in 1987), and Simon Culhane with most points in a single game (45 versus Japan in 1995). New Zealand's only annual tournament is a competition involving the Southern Hemisphere's top national teams. From 1996 through 2011, they competed in the Tri Nations against Australia and South Africa. In 2012, Argentina joined the competition, which was renamed The Rugby Championship. New Zealand's record of 15 tournament wins (the most recent"
"New Zealand Army team. During the Second World War no international matches were played by most countries, though Italy, Germany and Romania played a limited number of games, and Cambridge and Oxford continued their annual University Match. The first officially sanctioned international rugby sevens tournament took place in 1973 at Murrayfield, one of Scotland's biggest stadiums, as part of the Scottish Rugby Union centenary celebrations. In 1987 the first Rugby World Cup was held in Australia and New Zealand, and the inaugural winners were New Zealand. The first World Cup Sevens tournament was held at Murrayfield in 1993. Rugby Sevens"