Maori All Blacks: To hit the road
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The Maori All Blacks are to embark on a three-match Northern Hemisphere tour in November to play Leicester, Canada and a RFU Championship XV.
Formerly known as New Zealand Maori, the tourists have competed in the Churchill Cup and Pacific Nations Cup and enjoyed victories over England and Ireland two years ago.
"The Maori All Blacks have been an important part of New Zealand's rugby history and this UK tour reflects a NZRU commitment to a meaningful programme for the Maori All Blacks," said New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) Chief Executive Officer Steve Tew.
IRB Chairman Bernard Lapasset adds that this was an exciting development for the global game.
"The IRB is committed to facilitating and facilitating an annual international competition schedule for our Tier 2 Unions and these matches will be key to increased competitiveness on the global stage and at Rugby World Cup. I would like to thank the RFU and the NZRU for their support.
"There will be an unprecedented number of international fixtures across the UK in November, which will give sports fans a taste of what to expect in 2015 when England hosts the world's top 20 nations for Rugby World Cup."
Maori All Blacks UK Tour:
Tuesday November 13: v Leicester Tigers, Welford Road.
Saturday November 17: v RFU Championship XV, Castle Park.
Friday November 23: v Canada, Oxford University Sports Centre.
Comments
hellovanite says...
SACanuck says... You couldn't have such a game as the ABs would no longer be the ABs without their players of Maori decent. And it is pointless to speak of the ABs that are eligible to play for the Maoris because comon really! How are they going to play for both teams and anyway they are not eligible for the Maoris while playing for the national team.
Posted 04:10 01st September 2012
APV1 says...
@ Ferdie - Thanks for that. But, again, why Weepu? I wonder what makes them choose him every time? Perhaps your Rock : Paper : Scissors idea might hold water, afterall...
Posted 15:19 31st August 2012
ArmchairGeneral says...
Weepu gets it because he is so darn loud! Also before he started kicking it was his reason for selection without dieting
Posted 12:44 31st August 2012
Ferdie says...
APV1 - for the person who leads the haka - I understand (could be wrong) that decision is made by the team. management have no say, it's the team who choses him and quite an honour it is too.
as a second option (joking) maybe he always wins at paper-rock-scissors in the decision making process.
maybe most people not aware but there is also tribal rugby comps in nz, and each province has a Mäori committee which administers Mäori rugby in that province - it's not just about the national rep team. tribal affiliation determines which team or area a player can represent.
Posted 12:18 31st August 2012
porridge_time says...
Melkdave...
As always a sensible post from yourself. Far too many people out there with an axe to grind. The Maori play a fantastic brand of rugby and well worth a watch. The last tikme they turned out against England in Napier was a cracking match... a certain young Aaron Smith at scrum half looked the business that night.
Posted 10:35 31st August 2012
APV1 says...
@ expattrussy - thank you, I was wondering when it would be picked up..! ;-)
@ nzmaoriboy - thanks for that. On different note, why is it always Weepu leading the Haka, when there are so many other Maori players who are more senior within the team? Is he "more Maori" (from a generational point of view), or from a more senior tribe (i.e. is his lineage such that he is a more senior figure amongst Maoris)? I haven't explained that very well, but I hope it makes sense. And please excuse my ignorance. Cheers!
@ Ferdie - I think our posts overlapped - thanks for the information. The shame is, we'll probably not be able to see any of it televised. Not only are they not "important" enough, but they'll clash with other "more important" matches (and sports).
Isn't it about time that Sky got its act together and started a dedicated Rugby Channel? We have Sports 1 - 4 and News. There's an F1 channel and even channels dedicated to individual football teams. During the Olypics BBC ran over 20 channels, dedicated to showing every event from every sport live. And with the fancy red button, we should be able to watch rugby from all corners of the globe. Even if they're not live, there would still be a little interest - my tv would have a default setting, I suspect. And the ad revenue from the "big" matches would surely be enough to subsidise the loss-leaders. Then we might see Romania, Portugal, Thailand, and so on, to see the sport from all over. And if there's nothing live, there are plenty of classic matches, interviews, Rugby Club, SOHK, and so on, which would fill the gaps perfectly.
Posted 09:26 31st August 2012
Danatthecorner says...
"As for one comment about do I expect the NZ public to fund the development of NZ players and teams... why not its their national sport. Perhaps the NZRFU should consider running their business more sensibly and given all the extra money the've demanded to appear in 2015 spend it more wisely."
I don't think you understand how unions get their cash mate. NZ Maori will make money from this tour in the same way any southern hemisphere big name team will make money from touring. Thats the way it works, NZ Maori aren't a special case.
Who are you to judge the merits of touring? Are you suggesting you know better than the NZ coaches and managers who organised the games? Unless you are Fran Cotton or Donal Lenihan then I sincerely doubt you do. If you don't like the tour then fine, ignore it. But to whine on about it being unworthy of a tour ignores the reality that without a Churchill Cup, its important that they find ways to get the players games and overseas touring experience.
Posted 09:21 31st August 2012
Carpelone says...
So, we are all Paakehaa on this site (i.e. not normal ;-)).
Cheers to everybody and NZ Maori, keep it up.
Posted 09:12 31st August 2012
Nahpoowee says...
@craigsman
The Duck can hardly be used as an example of a teams strength.... lol
Posted 09:06 31st August 2012
ArmchairGeneral says...
@headhunter99: "let's see the number of bums on seats". That will be 1 or 0. For safety reasons.
Posted 08:47 31st August 2012
vaizpatu2011 says...
Latimer is of Samoan and Maori Parents. So as Ross Filipo.
Posted 03:44 31st August 2012
Trader2 says...
@Sharkyzulu I think you should read up on your countries history (presume you are a Saffa) regarding why SA were banned. I suspect there may have been a wider picture to consider!
Posted 02:42 31st August 2012
5Lock4ward says...
The jersey the Maori wore during their last event was by far the best rugby jersey I've ever seen. All the Maori art on it showing in the dark reflective black...sweet. Too bad I couldn't have found one for sale.
Posted 01:31 31st August 2012
kennyisgay says...
Sharkyzulu... wasn't it skin colour rather than race as I'm sure the white springboks contained other white races
Posted 01:06 31st August 2012
ruckingkiwi says...
The NZ Maori concept is different, it doesn't exclude any races so is not racist! However to merit selection you must have some part Maori, even if that is your minority ethnic make-up... anyway that is debatable nowadays, such is NZ life there are lots of 'pakeha' boys who would be more 'Maori' in their actions and beliefs than many Maori themselves. Also, the NZ Maori rugby team, which was initially the NZ Natives, was the first touring team to leave NZ shores (the first All Blacks so to speak), so it's great NZ still honour that tradition. I would like to see other countries celebrate their indigenous people instead of poking fun at ours... like the Aussies have started to do with league, finally.
Posted 00:53 31st August 2012
Ferdie says...
APV1 - see my post 3 below yours - "programme of November fixtures for Tier Two Unions" - so maybe some of the teams you mentioned will also be getting games at this time.
Posted 00:29 31st August 2012
lawynd says...
@rugby_rockstar - who said anything about a 'mission statement'? The only teams that field full-strength sides in the Anglo-Welsh prior to the semis are those teams not competing at the top of the AP or PRO12, not just Leicester. As for your quote, that's from LV's website, which is obviously trying to talk the competition up! And I'd love if you could tell me which AP team played a full 9 - 15 first team in the Premiership 7s apart from London Irish, who again did so because they're unlikely to win anything else this season? Oh that's right...none of them!
As for 'throwing out third teams' and anyone with Sky knowing you're 'telling the truth about Leicester,' perhaps you might consider why Tigers are the most successful team in England...it couldn't have anything to do with bringing through and blooding academy talent in these other competitions, could it? And we won't mention (again!) the tonking that a 'third team' dished out to South Africa, right?
Posted 00:03 31st August 2012
Headhunter99 says...
To all of you bitching about my comments, lets be clear on a number of things. If the Maori were coming here to play quality sides it would be worth it but a compilation of players from the championship will not even come close to a half decent Maori side. The chances of Leicester putting out a really competitive side in the middle of the Autumn international is IMHO remote.
As for one comment about do I expect the NZ public to fund the development of NZ players and teams... why not its their national sport. Perhaps the NZRFU should consider running their business more sensibly and given all the extra money the've demanded to appear in 2015 spend it more wisely.
As I've said before having the full SA, NZ and Australian sides here in the Autumn is fantastic and I'm going along to a number of the games but this strikes me as a poorly arranged commercial venture... lets see the numbers of bums on seats.
Posted 23:53 30th August 2012
ArmchairGeneral says...
Apv1 agree: Saxons should play them. Even a Lions B team. Best of British and Irish not in the Autumn internationals.
Lawynd. Agree. Also Leicester were minus 11 international players. It was more of a second string than the Boks missing a few key players.
Posted 23:06 30th August 2012
nzmaoriboy says...
Of course I will be looking forward to this tour with Glee! I wont be to expectant on results due to the fact that Club teams do notoriously well against international teams. You wonder why?? Easy club teams play well due to the fact they play a lot of games together hence a great understanding of each other /game plans/ game situations,hence I'm picking Leicester to be the toughest game. Selection criteria is at least 1 great grand parent half-Maori. Nz'ers may remember Rene Ranger was unable to play for the Maori as he could not verify a a grand parent with said lineage. & "Pakeha" is short for the maori word "Pakehakeha" which was used to describe the pale skinned Faeries in Maori mythology!! (not an insult) Despite want many people may think. Current Maori eligible AB's are Dagg,Jane,Gear,Guilford,Kahui,Carter,smith,Weepu,Messam,Ellison! next Best Latimer,Braid's,Hoeata,Afeaki,Perenara,Lowe! I think we may have a mean Team!
Posted 22:09 30th August 2012