Rugby Ball NZ: How to Choose the Right Size, Type and Match Ball

Illustration of three unbranded rugby balls on kicking tees in front of faint goalposts, showing Size 3 for ages 7–9, Size 4 for ages 10–14 and Size 5 for ages 15 and up, beside the heading "Rugby Ball NZ: How to choose the right size, type and match ball".

Choosing the right rugby ball matters more than most people expect. The oval ball is the one piece of equipment every player touches on every play, and its size, grip and condition shape how cleanly juniors learn to pass, how reliably a kicker can find touch, and how long a club’s gear survives a wet […]

All Blacks vs Ireland: The Rivalry, Record and Recent Results

Split black and green graphic headed "All Blacks vs Ireland: The Rivalry, Record and Recent Results", showing the all-time head-to-head record of 34 New Zealand wins, 5 Ireland wins and 1 draw beside a rugby ball flying between goalposts under stadium floodlights.

Few fixtures in modern rugby union have changed as dramatically as the meetings between the All Blacks and Ireland. For more than a century New Zealand won almost every Test between the two nations, and an Irish victory seemed close to impossible. Over the last decade that story has been rewritten: Ireland became one of […]

Rugby Boots NZ: How to Choose the Right Pair for Your Position and Ground

Illustrated rugby boot with studs standing on a split strip of muddy soft ground and firm turf, beside a rugby ball and the headline "Rugby Boots NZ: How to choose the right pair for your position and ground".

Choosing a pair of rugby boots is one of the most important gear decisions a player makes before stepping onto the paddock in Aotearoa New Zealand. Whether you pack down as a club prop in the winter mud of Christchurch, chase kicks as an outside back on a firm Auckland track, or you are a […]

All Blacks vs Scotland: The Rivalry, Record and Results

Featured graphic for All Blacks vs Scotland: The Rivalry, Record and Results, showing a rugby ball flying past goal posts over a black and navy background, with the all-time Test record of 33 Tests, 31 All Blacks wins, 2 draws and 0 Scotland wins, and the latest result of 25–17 at Murrayfield in November 2025.

The Test match rivalry between the All Blacks and Scotland is one of the oldest in the international game, dating back to the New Zealand “Originals” tour of 1905. It is also one of the most one-sided: across 33 Tests, New Zealand has never lost to Scotland. Scotland has come agonisingly close, forcing two draws […]

All Blacks Team Selection: How the Squad, Positions and Match-Day 23 Are Chosen

Graphic of a rugby team sheet showing 15 numbered black jerseys in match formation on a green pitch and eight grey bench jerseys numbered 16 to 23, next to the heading "All Blacks Team Selection: How the squad, positions and match-day 23 are chosen".

Few announcements stir as much conversation across New Zealand as the naming of the All Blacks. When the selectors confirm a touring squad or a match-day team, the choices are dissected in workplaces, clubrooms and sports media from Northland to Southland, because the players picked carry the hopes of a rugby-obsessed country onto the test […]

Rugby Championship Table: Standings, Results and How the Points Work

Illustrated Rugby Championship standings table with four ranked rows and a rugby ball, beside the points system (win 4, draw 2, loss 0, bonus +1) and the four competing nations: New Zealand, South Africa, Australia and Argentina.

The Rugby Championship table is the six-week snapshot of southern-hemisphere Test rugby, ranking New Zealand’s All Blacks alongside South Africa, Australia and Argentina as they trade blows through the mid-winter international window. For fans across Aotearoa, the ladder is a weekly ritual, because a single bonus point earned in the final minute can be the […]

Māori All Blacks: The Team, Eligibility, Fixtures and Legacy

Featured graphic for a guide to the Māori All Blacks, with the title beside a white rugby ball with red bands on a black background, framed by a red koru spiral and a red-and-black kōwhaiwhai-inspired border.

The Māori All Blacks are one of New Zealand rugby’s oldest and most distinctive teams: a national men’s side selected entirely from players of Māori descent, administered by New Zealand Rugby. Their story runs deeper than the scoreboard, connecting elite professional sport with whakapapa (genealogy) and te ao Māori (the Māori world). This guide explains […]

Black Ferns vs South Africa: Rivalry, Record and How to Watch

Graphic for Black Ferns v South Africa showing a black rugby jersey with a white collar and a green jersey with a gold collar behind a rugby ball, beside the headline and a test head-to-head scoreboard reading NZ 3, SA 0.

The rivalry between the Black Ferns, New Zealand’s women’s national rugby union team, and the Springbok Women of South Africa is one of the newest storylines in the international game — and one of the fastest-growing. In test rugby (full international matches between senior national teams) the two sides have met only three times, all […]

Black Ferns vs Canada: The Rivalry, Head-to-Head Record and 2026 Fixtures

Split black and red graphic showing the Black Ferns vs Canada women's rugby head-to-head record: 21 Tests played, with 18 wins to the Black Ferns, 2 wins to Canada and 1 draw.

The Black Ferns vs Canada fixture has grown into one of the most watchable rivalries in women’s rugby union. For most of its history it was a mismatch — New Zealand won the first 17 meetings, several by 40 points or more — but since 2024 Canada has beaten the Black Ferns twice and drawn […]

All Blacks Coach: Who Leads New Zealand Rugby in 2026

Graphic for a guide to the All Blacks coach in 2026, showing a rugby tactics board, a white rugby ball and a coach's whistle next to the headline and key appointment facts.

The All Blacks coach holds one of the most closely watched jobs in world sport. In New Zealand, rugby union is woven into national identity, so the person picked to lead the men’s Test side is judged not only on results but on how they carry a team that has won more often than any […]