One of the things that helps rugby maintain its position as New Zealand’s top sport is the deep historical connection between the country and the sport. Rugby is thought to have originated in the Warwickshire town of Rugby, which is its namesake, in the 1820s. British colonisers brought the game over to the islands sometime in the 1840s, giving New Zealand one of the longest histories with the sport.
The indigenous Māori already had a similar sport, Kī-o-rah, which was played with a woven flax ball. Similarities between the two sports likely helped rugby gain a foothold in New Zealand. It quickly became established, with the first official rugby match taking place in May 1870 when Nelson College played Nelson Football Club. At the time, the blanket term ‘football’ was given to any sport that involved a team and kicking a ball. The match was played under rugby rules and saw the college team suffer a 2–0 defeat. Rugby balls at this time were made using an inflated pig’s bladder, which helped to give the ball its iconic oval shape!
The following decade, New Zealand entered the global stage, beating the Australian national team 8–0 across the 1884 series in New South Wales. The first team to perform the goose-bump inducing Haka and wear the distinctive black jersey was the national team who toured England and Australia between 1888 and 1889. Since then, the All Blacks have dominated the sport, becoming the most successful team in history. In New Zealand, rugby is a point of national pride, ingrained in the culture of the country and the identity of the people. The long and incredibly successful history of rugby in New Zealand helps to cement it as the country’s most popular sport.
Inspirational National Team
Ask any rugby fan who the most successful team of all time is, and they won’t hesitate to tell you it’s the All Blacks. On the global stage, they’ve won three Rugby World Cups, making them the most successful in the tournament’s history. They’ve also won 10 out of the 16 Rugby Championships (formally known as the Tri-Nations), in which they compete against Australia, South Africa, and Argentina (who joined the competition in 2012). New Zealand have also been completely dominant in the Bledisloe Cup, where they compete against Australia over three matches. The All Blacks have won the cup for 22 consecutive years and hold an impressive 52 titles to Australia’s 12.
The dominance of the All Blacks on the global rugby stage has inspired many young players to take up the sport. The All Blacks team members serve as icons for aspiring players across New Zealand, boosting grassroots rugby across the country. Their style focuses on working cohesively, rather than highlighting individual star players. There’s also a notable freedom in their play with the team, driving to constantly be on the attack which has created a unique and instantly recognisable national style.
In the digital age, where fans are able to follow their favourite players on social media, the influence of the national team is felt more than ever. New Zealand is responsible for producing some of the biggest icons of the sport, like Richie McCaw—the only man to lift the Webb Ellis Cup, the Rugby World Cup trophy, twice. McCaw’s list of accolades is too long to list here, but some highlights include captaining the All Blacks a record 110 times, winning IRB player of the year, and winning New Zealand’s Sportsmen of the Year award. As someone who got his start in grassroots rugby, he’s been instrumental in supporting the sport throughout New Zealand. He regularly makes appearances at rugby colleges around the country and most recently surprised students at Nelson College by appearing at their practice in March. Fans can also follow him on social media to learn more about his work and some tips and tricks that helped him become one of the best players of all time.
Another standout Kiwi is Jonah Lomu, widely regarded as the best rugby player of all time. He was not only admired on a national level, but international superstars like Japan’s captain, Michael Leitch, credit him as an inspiration. Leitch, who was born in New Zealand, said, “When I was little, he was a big star in New Zealand, and I loved Jonah—I had posters of him up on my wall and used to get my hair cut like him. He’s done so much for rugby in general.”
Well-Developed Infrastructure
Due to the long history of rugby within New Zealand, there’s already impressive infrastructure in place that has equipped the country to nurture new talent. The domestic competition, the Bunnings Heartlands Championship, gives players the crucial opportunity to partake in competitive matches on a regular basis. It was first played in 2006 and is so popular that it’s even broadcast by Sky Sports. The competition encourages all levels of players across the country by including both amateurs and semi-professionals. It was restructured in 2005 to allow for more teams and heightened competition, with the 14 best-performing sides now competing in the National Provincial Championship.
In recent years, Heartlands have focused on encouraging teenagers, especially girls, into the sport through school initiatives. Registered players saw a strong growth in 2024, with a 15% increase in women’s and girls’ participation, resulting in over 33,000 players. Lucius Boehm, a leading sports expert who has written articles on the history of rugby in New Zealand, highlighted how essential the well-developed school infrastructure is to the popularity of the sport. He went on to say, “New Zealand has some of the best developmental programs in the sport, especially in schools where it’s the most played sport.” Rugby is played in 300 schools across New Zealand, with more than 30,000 students actively involved in the sport.
Following a 2018 review of the number of students involved in rugby, which highlighted that the sport might be losing ground to others like basketball, new infrastructure was developed to give it a boost. A Secondary Rugby Review board, made up of school principals and representatives from New Zealand Rugby, was established to encourage talent. The board helps train new officials and coaches for the sport in schools and nurtures future stars through their development programs.
Does Rugby Face Any Challenges?
Despite its enduring popularity, rugby in New Zealand has faced its fair share of challenges. In 2007, the All Blacks national team crashed out of the Rugby World Cup in the quarter-final for the first time - signifying the team’s worst ever result. They lost their match to France 20–18, causing their departure from the competition and shocking rugby fans throughout the world. It was a difficult time for rugby in the country, with viewing and participation numbers taking a dip. However, the All Blacks were quick to regain their footing and even went on to win the following two World Cups in 2011 and 2015.
Rugby also faces the challenge of having to compete against other popular sports in the country. There have been concerns in some schools about the safety of playing rugby, which has led to greater investment in sports like netball and basketball. In 2024, basketball was reported to be the second most popular sport in primary schools across New Zealand, behind rugby. Due to this rapid increase in popularity, basketball doesn’t have the same kind of supporting infrastructure as rugby. There’s an estimated shortfall of 500 courts across the country, preventing the sport from growing to truly challenge rugby. No matter the challenge it faces, rugby in New Zealand has confidently emerged on the other side to retain its popularity.
The Popularity and Future of Rugby in New Zealand
There’s little doubt that rugby will remain one of the top sports within New Zealand in the future. Due to well-developed infrastructure and school programmes, the sport is primed to continue along its impressive trajectory within the country. The country’s long history with the sport makes it a point of national pride and a part of its identity. Not only is New Zealand’s history with rugby lengthy, it’s also dominant, with standout Kiwi players like Richie McCaw and Jonah Lomu helping to inspire players across the world. Overall, rugby is deeply ingrained within the national identity of New Zealand, ensuring it will remain popular for the foreseeable future.
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