New Zealand All Blacks – One Color. Always Black. | Hall of Teams Episode 03

The New Zealand All Blacks are the most iconic rugby team in history. From the legendary black jersey to the silver fern and the haka that echoes across stadiums, they’ve built a legacy that transcends sport.

In this episode of Hall of Teams, host Kirk Jensen — World Champion and Sports Historian — takes you inside the story of the All Blacks. Discover the origins of their black kit, the meaning behind the silver fern, and how a haka became a global symbol of strength, pride, and identity.

From their early tours to their World Cup triumphs, this is the journey of a team whose dominance shaped rugby and inspired a nation. Along the way, you’ll hear Trivia from the Hall — surprising facts and hidden stories from the All Blacks’ history.

Whether you’re a rugby fan or simply drawn to legendary teams, the All Blacks’ story is one of tradition, power, and enduring legacy.

Listen now and join the Hall of Teams — Across Sport, Across Time, Across the World.

Welcome to the Hall of Teams, the podcast where sports legends live again.

Where founding stories are dusted off like vintage jerseys... Where

crests nicknames and colors aren't just designs, but identities.

Where the teams we love are more than scores on a scoreboard,

they are time capsules of culture, community, and change.

I'm your host, Kirk Jensen.

For this episode, I feel as if heavy fog should be oozing up around me.

With the pounding of ancient drums echoing in my chest, and

the ache of black throughout.

Growing up in a small town in Western Canada in the 70s, I

loved sport and competition.

My eyes were always being opened to new worlds, flipping through Sports

Illustrated, or hearing the "Thrill of Victory and the Agony of Defeat"

on ABC's Wide World of Sports.

And long before I understood the game of rugby...

I had heard the name All Blacks.

And today we stand at the crossroads

where history trembles beneath stomping feet.

We journey to the bottom of the world.

Where fog rolls off jagged cliffs.

And where the silence waits for the roar.

Where other teams have colors.

The All Blacks are a color.

The most dominant team in the history of rugby, and arguably

in all of sports history.

Today we induct that team, a myth, a movement, a nation's soul

stitched in jet black and silver.

The Hall of Teams welcomes — the New Zealand All Blacks.

The modern form of the game of rugby was invented at a school

in England in the early 1800s.

At the time, England was expanding its empire and introduced rugby

to its colonies, like South Africa and Australia in the 1860s.

In 1870, a young man named Charles Monro returned from his school in

England, and he stepped off a ship and onto a grassy field in Nelson,

New Zealand, holding a rugby ball.

Immediately, rugby became something else.

Something bigger.

Māori communities took to the game with astonishing speed and passion.

Teams formed almost immediately.

It wasn't just a sport, here it was a new kind of war dance, a battlefield

of honor, strategy, and strength.

The Māori people saw in rugby reflection of their own cultural code.

Whakapapa - Lineage.

Mana - Honor

Kotahitanga - Unity.

In just 10 years, New Zealand sent its first national team abroad to Australia, a

side that won all eight of their matches.

In 1888, a predominantly Māori team, proudly calling

themselves The Natives, set out on a grueling tour.

They played 107 matches over fourteen months across Britain, Ireland,

Australia, and New Zealand — an extraordinary schedule in any era.

And remember, this was New Zealand, a country at the far edge of the world.

While other teams of the time might spend days on a bus or a train,

their journey alone to Britain took “seven weeks” — by ship.

And once there, they played in every condition, against every style,

winning respect for their skill, resilience and just sheer endurance.

From these early journeys emerged a powerful fusion — Māori grit, European

rules, and an unshakable national pride.

Then came 1905, the tour that would change rugby forever...

and turn a team into a legend.

This team was called The Originals.

Under Captain Dave Gallaher, they set out across the British Isles,

France, North America, facing the best the rugby world could offer.

They played 35 matches and won 34.

Only Wales, in a match still argued about to this day, denied them a perfect record.

British headlines reached out for superlatives.

One writer gasped.

"They came like shadows, and they left like Gods."

Another marveled.

"We faced men who played as though the wind itself was watching."

It was on this tour that the name "All Blacks" first appeared in print in the

Express & Echo of Devon— praising their

"Sable and unrelieved costume.”

And then... there's the legend.

Some say a London reporter meant to call them the "All Backs," for their

revolutionary style, and where every man attacked like a "backline player."

But somewhere between the press room and the printing press...

a single letter appeared.

The “All Backs” became the “All Blacks.” Was it a mistake?

Stroke of genius?

Or destiny in newsprint?

To this day, no one can say for certain.

By November, 1905, the name All Blacks was everywhere in Britain, even if

back home New Zealand newspapers still called them "The Colonials."

When the team finally stepped off the ship in March of 1906,

the Auckland Herald greeted them in bold double column print

RETURN OF THE ALL BLACKS

The name had stuck.

And so had the myth.

In 1924, the team took their stature to an even higher level.

The team set sale for the British Isles, France, and Canada.

They became The Invincibles, a name coined by a French journalist, after

watching New Zealand dismantle France 30–6 in Toulouse: "Ils sont invincibles!”

meaning "They are invincible."

Across 32 matches, they won them all.

Fourteen were official internationals, including test victories over

England, Ireland, Wales, and France.

They amassed 838 points while conceding just 116., Led by Captain Cliff

Porter, their dominance was so absolute that British newspapers called them

"the most perfect rugby machine ever assembled."

The Invincibles didn't just win; they defined the black jersey,

setting a benchmark every All Black side has chased since.

Trivia from the Hall - The Try That Time Forgot

December 16, 1905 — Cardiff Arms Park, Wales.

The unbeaten All Blacks, fresh off 27 straight victories, met a Welsh

side brimming with skill and national pride in what was already being

called "The Match of the Century."

Late in the game, with Wales leading 3–0, winger Bob Deans broke the

Welsh line and dived under the posts.

He swore he'd grounded the ball, but the referee was behind the play, and

by the time he arrived, Welsh defenders had dragged Deans, back across the line.

No try.

Wales held on to win   3–0,

And Deans never let it go, insisting until his death just three years

later at age 24—that the try was good.

More than a century later, it remains one of Rugby's most debated moments,

a score the scoreboard erased, but the legend refused to forget..

In 1893,

Thomas Ellison, influential Māori rugby player, captain and innovator,

stood before the New Zealand Rugby Football Union with the bold

replace the navy jersey and white shorts with the black jersey,

black shorts, black stockings... and over the heart, a silver fern.

The fern had long been a symbol in Māori and New Zealand life.

A sign of strength, endurance, and sacrifice.

Explorers used it to mark their paths.

Ellison believed it should also mark the men who carried the

nation's hopes on a rugby field.

The Union adopted his proposal, and from that moment, the national

team would wear all black.

"The black jersey is stitched with

expectation, but worn with humility."

Steve Hansen — Head Coach (2012-2019) That humility is built into the

jersey's most sacred tradition.

Each All Black receives his jersey in a private ceremony,

no cameras, no spectacle.

Just teammates.

A circle.

And a story.

For 119 years, nothing appeared on the black jersey, but the silver fern.

Not until 2012 did commercial sponsorship appear — a stark reminder

of the modern game’s pull, yet the fern still stood alone in meaning.

"You never own the jersey.

You are just, its guardian."

Richie McCaw   — Captain (2004–2015)

Trivia from the Hall #2 - The Silver Fern That Grew from War

Long before it was stitched onto a rugby jersey, the silver

fern was carried into battle.

In the Boer War and World War I,

Kiwi soldiers pinned fern badges to their uniforms or carved them into rifle

butts and helmets — a mark that said New Zealander to friend and foe alike.

By the time the 1924 Invincibles toured Europe, the fern already

had become more than a design.

It was a symbol of honor, sacrifice, and identity.

That dual legacy, forged in war, celebrated in sport, is

why the fern remains untouched.

A living memorial every time the All Blacks take the field.

Before the first pass.

Before the first tackle.

There is the haka.

Not for show.

Not for hype.

And to outsiders it can look like pure intimidation.

To the All Blacks, it is something deeper.

A call to ancestors, a call to spirit, a call to every ounce of

pride stitched into the black jersey.

The haka is their traditional Māori war dance, once performed

to prepare warriors for battle.

Its rhythm and movement, carried through centuries of Polynesian ancestry.

In Māori life, haka are not only for war, they mark celebrations,

farewells, and moments of unity.

The first haka, the All Blacks carried onto the world stage was

the "Ka Mate" penned in the early 1800s by Toa chief Te Rauparaha.

It's where the story of the chief was fleeing his enemies and

was hidden in a pit by another chief he called "hairy man".

And emerging safely into the sunlight, proclaimed,

"I die!" "I live!" in celebration of his survival.

The 1905 Originals, stamped those words into rugby history, thirty-five

men in black standing on frosty British mornings, eyes wide, tongues

extended, feet pounding the turf.

The roar rolling through the stands like a coming storm.

In 2005, a new haka was born: "Kapa o Pango", written

exclusively for the All Blacks.

it's opening words declare:

This is the team in black—

I will make myself one with the land.

It is New Zealand that thunders now!

It is the All Blacks that thunder now!

The haka is more than a ritual.

It's the national heartbeat.

A challenge, and a promise.

We are here.

We do not fear.

Tradition meets its truest test, not in victory, but in defeat.

For over a century, the All Blacks stood at the summit of world rugby — building

a legend out of the black jersey, the silver fern, and the thunder of the haka.

But no dynasty escapes loss.

Their record remains unmatched, the highest winning percentage in

the sport's history at 77% — yet it’s the moments of failure that

have often shaped them the most.

In 1995, in South Africa, a nation united behind its team brought the

All Blacks to their knees in a Rugby World Cup final filled with pride,

politics, and lingering controversy.

In 1999, France staged a stunning comeback at Twickenham, overturning

the odds in a semifinal that left the crowd in disbelief.

In 2007, France struck again, this time in the quarterfinals,

ending another title bid.

In 2019, England's precision and relentless discipline halted

New Zealand's run, denying them a third straight World Cup.

These were not just defeats, these shook the nation.

In the stunned silences after the final whistle, you could

feel a nation hold its breath.

Each loss stripped a team down to its essence, forcing them to confront

vulnerabilities and redefine what it meant to wear the all black jersey.

From each of the defeats came change.

Longtime leaders retired, new captains emerged, and strategies evolved.

And then came the pandemic, canceling games, emptying

stadiums, and breaking routines.

For a moment, it felt as if rugby's grip on New Zealand life had loosened.

Fewer kids were playing.

Crowds wondered aloud "had the magic faded?"

But the All Blacks have never been a team that stays down.

For them, pain is not an ending — it is the forge where resolve is reforged.

Trivia from the Hall - Why it's Called a Try and a Test

Rugby doesn't just sound different, it speaks its own language.

Take the most common scoring term: "try".

Odd name for something that succeeds.

In early rugby, grounding the ball over the line didn't score points; it gave

you the right to try for a goal, a chance to kick the ball through the posts.

The try itself didn't count.

The kick did.

Over time, that changed and the try became a score in its own right.

Then there’s the "test" match — the term for international games.

Why “test”?

Because it was exactly that: a test of strength, skill, and national pride.

Early rugby nations saw these matches as examinations, proving whether your side

could stand up to the best in the world.

So, the next time you hear "try" or "test", remember — they’re not just words.

They’re part of rugby’s DNA.

From hardship to triumph, the All Blacks have always found a way forward.

They refuse to let defeat define them.

In 2011, after 24 long years without a World Cup title,

they finally lifted the trophy again on home soil.

In a tense Eden Park final, they edge France 8–7.

The whistle blew, and Eden Park erupted.

Streets filled with flags, strangers embraced in the rain, and a nation's

shoulders seemed to drop in relief.

Two years later, in 2013, the All Blacks achieved perfection, winning

all 14 of their test matches.

The only professional team ever to do so.

In a sport built on attrition and travel, it was a feat of discipline,

endurance, and relentless belief.

In 2015, they became the first team to win back-to-back rugby World

Cups, outlasting South Africa in the semifinals and defeating their

arch rivals Australia, in the final.

As Richie McCaw hoisted the Web Ellis Cup, fireworks cracked above Twickenham,

the home of English rugby, and the silver fern seemed to glow in the London night.

In more than a century of test rugby,

the All Blacks have only been beaten by seven countries, and against

every one of them, they hold a

commanding winning record.

What makes this even more remarkable is perspective: New Zealand's population

is just five million a fraction of the size of the other nations who

have reached a World Cup final.

And yet, all these victories are part of the fabric of the jersey.

Living proof that the All Blacks spirit renews itself after doubt and hardship.

Every time the haka echoes, it sends the same message: New Zealand endures.

The All Blacks persist.

A living bridge between what they have been… what they are… and what

they will always be — The Standard.

Today, the All Blacks face pressure on two fronts.

On the pitch, the world is caught up.

France, Ireland and South Africa no longer fear the black jersey, they've

toppled New Zealand on the biggest stages, proof that global parody has arrived.

Every win now demands more.

Off the pitch, the rules of the game are shifting.

Lucrative offers from Japanese and European clubs tempt

top Kiwi talent overseas.

Current eligibility rules require: to wear the silver fern,

you must play in New Zealand.

No exceptions.

It's more than a regulation, it's the thread that ties

every generation to the jersey.

That's why the pathway remains sacred.

From Rip Rugby starting at age five, through school teams, provincial

clubs, and elite academies, every step drives toward one

national dream.

There are no shortcuts.

"It's about keeping players here.

It's about keeping the dream here."

New Zealand Rugby Union

And the legacy isn't just male.

The Black Ferns, New Zealand's women's national team, have

surged onto the World Cup stage.

World Cup Champions, ranked number two globally, leaders on the field

and off it, carrying the tradition forward while shaping it for the future.

Two teams.

One fern.

Always black.

The All Blacks are more than a sports team, they're a legacy

stitched into the fabric of a nation.

No team in history has carried more — not just wins or trophies, but the weight

of a nation's pride, the voice of its ancestors, and the soul of its sport.

It is with honor and awe, we induct the All Blacks as they take their

rightful place in the Hall of Teams.

Picture it, the black jersey, hanging in a silent locker room...

the silver fern catching the light.

Share their story.

Stand for the spirit of the game.

And remember... black is forever.

In the Hall of Teams, legends don't just live in the past.

They rise again, through you.

This year, you decide who earns the title: Team of the Year.

And it's more than a title — it’s a legacy without borders.

Across all sports.

Across time.

Across the world.

Want your team to win?

Watch the episode.

Tap “Like.” Comment with #TeamOfTheYear + [Your Team’s Name].

And don't forget to subscribe, because every voice and every vote counts.

On December 15th, the team with the most likes, comments and new subscribers

will be crowned Team of the Year.

Their logo will be immortalized on the Wall of Honor.

And remember, you can watch the full New Zealand All Blacks episode on

the Hall of Teams YouTube channel.

Thanks for joining us on this legendary journey.

If there's a team you'd like to nominate for the Hall of Teams,

drop it in the comments using #Nominate + [Your Team Name].

From rugby's fiercest tradition... to football's frozen dynasty.

Join us next time as we brave the cold and the centuries to tell the

story of the Green Bay Packers — the small-town team that built a kingdom in

Title Town... and never gave it back.

Until then, remember:

Behind every logo... is a legacy.

And behind every team... a tale worth telling.

I’m Kirk Jensen — and this is the Hall of Teams.