New Zealand Natives national rugby union team
| Union | New Zealand Rugby Union |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | New Zealand Māori |
| Emblem(s) | Silver fern |
| Coach(es) | Colin Cooper |
| Captain(s) | Ash Dixon |
| First match | |
 Hawke's Bay 0–5 New Zealand Natives  (23 June 1888) |
|
| Largest win | |
 British Columbia 3–111 New Zealand Māori (9 June 2004) |
|
| Largest test win | |
 United States 6–74 New Zealand Māori (7 June 2006) |
|
| Largest defeat | |
New Zealand Māori 0–37 South Africa  (25 August 1956) |
|
| Largest test defeat | |
|
New Zealand Māori 0–37 South Africa (25 August 1956) |
|
| Official website | |
| www |
|
The Māori All Blacks, previously called the New Zealand Māori, is a rugby union team from New Zealand. A representative team of the New Zealand Rugby Union, a prerequisite for playing in this team is that the player has Māori whakapapa, (genealogy). In the past this rule was not strictly applied; non–Māori players who looked Māori were often selected in the team. These included a few Island players and a couple of African descent. Today all players have their ancestry verified before selection in the team.
The team's first match was in 1888 against Hawke's Bay, and their first international match in 1888 against Ireland in Dublin. This was followed by a tour of Europe in 1888 and 1889 where the team suffered their first Test defeat—to Wales in Swansea.
The team's early uniforms consisted of a black jersey with a silver fern and white knickerbockers. New Zealand Māori perform a haka—a Māori challenge or posture dance—before each match. The haka was later adopted by the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks, as were their black shirts. In 2001, the Māori first performed the "Timatanga" haka, which describes the evolution of life and the creation of New Zealand from the four winds.
The Māori All Blacks competed in the Churchill Cup, which they won in 2004 and 2006, and in the Pacific Nations Cup, which they won in 2008. In November 2012, the team played three matches in England, against Canada at Oxford University RFC, the Leicester Tigers and an RFU Championship XV consisting of English-qualified players from the second tier RFU Championship.
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Wikipedia