The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks, represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. Famed for their international success, the All Blacks have often been regarded as one of the most successful sports teams in history.
The Bledisloe Cup is an annual rugby union competition between the national teams of Australia's Wallabies and New Zealand's All Blacks that has been contested since the 1930s. The frequency that the competition is held has varied, as has the number of matches played in each tournament, but it currently consists of an annual three-match series, reduced to a two-match series in World Cup years, with two of the matches counting towards The Rugby Championship. New Zealand have had the most success, winning the trophy in 2024 for the 52nd time and 22nd in succession, while Australia have won the trophy 12 times.
The Australia men's national rugby union team, nicknamed the Wallabies, is the representative men's national team in the sport of rugby union for the nation of Australia. The team first played at Sydney in 1899, winning their first test match against the touring British Isles team.
Richard Hugh McCaw is a retired New Zealand professional rugby union player. He captained the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks, in 110 out of his 148 test matches, and won two Rugby World Cups. He has won the World Rugby Player of the Year award a joint record three times and was the most capped test rugby player of all time from August 2015 to October 2020. McCaw was awarded World Rugby player of the decade (2011–2020) in 2021. McCaw is also a winner of the New Zealand sportsman of the decade award.
Justin Warren Marshall is a New Zealand former rugby union player. He played 81 games for the New Zealand All Blacks between 1995 and 2005.
Nicholas Campbell Farr-Jones AM is a former Australian rugby union player, who played as a scrum-half. He debuted for the Australia national team during the 1984 tour of Britain and Ireland. Farr-Jones was named "Player of the Series" for the 1986 tour of New Zealand, where Australia became the sixth team to win a test series there. He was appointed captain of the Wallabies in 1988 and is best known for leading the team to victory in the 1991 Rugby World Cup. Farr-Jones retired from international rugby in 1992 but briefly returned in 1993 for the Bledisloe Cup and a series against South Africa. He has since appeared as a rugby commentator on Sky Sports and serves as chairman of the New South Wales Rugby Union.
Sir Stephen William Hansen and High Chief of Vaiala, is a New Zealand rugby union coach and former player. He is also the father of Black Ferns assistant coach, Whitney Hansen.
Israel Jamahl Akuhata Dagg is a former New Zealand rugby union player who played for the Crusaders in Super Rugby. He has also played for the New Zealand Sevens team, and represents Hawkes Bay in the ITM Cup.
The first clash in Rugby Union between Australia and New Zealand took place in a test match on 15 August 1903 in Sydney, New South Wales. On that occasion, New Zealand won 22–3.
Benjamin Robert Smith is a retired New Zealand rugby union player, currently working for Super Rugby side Highlanders' management team. He formerly played for the Highlanders in the Super Rugby competition, Otago in the ITM Cup, Pau in the Top 14 and Kobelco Steelers in the Japan Rugby League One.
Brodie Allan Retallick is a New Zealand rugby union footballer, who currently plays as a lock for Kobelco Kobe Steelers in the Japan Rugby League One competition. He previously played for the Chiefs in Super Rugby and Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's National Provincial Championship.
Aniseto Ofa He Moori Tuʻungafasi is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays as a Prop for the Blues in Super Rugby and Northland in the Bunnings NPC.
Nepo Eti Laulala is a professional rugby union player who plays as a prop for Top 14 club Toulouse. Born in Samoa, he represented New Zealand at the international level from 2015-2023, after qualifying on residency grounds.
Shaun Stevenson is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays as an outside back for North Harbour in New Zealand's domestic Mitre 10 Cup and the Chiefs in the international Super Rugby competition.
Rieko Edward Ioane is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays as a Centre or Wing for the Blues in Super Rugby and Auckland in the Bunnings NPC.
Salesi Fili Finau is a former Tongan-born Australian rugby union player who played as flanker.
The 2021 Rugby Championship was the ninth series of the annual southern-hemisphere competition, involving Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The Springboks returned to the tournament after a year out in 2020 due to South African government travel restrictions and player welfare and safety concerns related to COVID-19. The tournament returned to its normal window of August, kicking-off on 14 August and concluding on 2 October.
In July and August 2023, several rugby union national teams played matches in preparation for the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Some of the matches involving Tier 1 and 2 nations were played under the Summer Nations Series branding.
The 2023 Rugby Championship was the eleventh edition of the annual southern hemisphere competition, involving Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
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