The Rise and Fall of the All Blacks
What happened to the hype?
There are few historical moments, in which you will always remember where you were and who was there with you. For many, it's the death of Princess Diana or the launch of the iPhone. But for Kiwi kids, it was the unforgettable victory of the All Blacks in the 2011 Rugby World Cup against France.
I was eight on a camping trip watching the game in the only pub in a small beach town. Fifty people contorted themselves around a tiny box television. After a gruelling second half of defending a fighting France, the All Blacks emerged victorious. The pub erupted and the nation was bound in Rugby-crazed ecstasy.
Following the match, the All Blacks were bigger than Jesus. Rugby had inducted a Carter-crazed cult, Weet-Bix cards were traded like jewels, black ferns were imprinted on school bags and Ka Mate was performed every morning.
After another World Cup victory in 2015, our Messiahs — Richie McCaw, Dan Carter, Jerome Kaino and Ma’a Nonu — hung up their boots.
Years later, after Aaron Smith’s cheeky toilet tryst and a crushing defeat in the 2019 World Cup, the facade of the untouchable All Blacks started to wane. A once guaranteed knockout at games turned into nail-biting nights and gut-sinking disappointment when Beauden Barrett made a dumbass kick and Damian McKenzie couldn’t find his smile (or his timing) quick enough to kick the penalty.
Today, I ask my friends if they can name a single current All Black, and I’m met with blank faces.
Art by Jess Skudder
As I was herded into Sky Stadium recently on September 28th, I heard doubtful whispers of a victory over the Wallabies as we hadn’t won in Wellington since 2018. Crap, I thought. I had bet a Crunchie bar with a guy from work that the All Blacks would win by ten points.
The All Blacks are currently number three in the World Rugby Rankings behind South Africa and Ireland. According to Rugby Pass, they still hold the world record for most successful international men’s Rugby side of all time with a success ranking of 88.70% compared to 90% in 2015.
The All Blacks aren't losing that much less than in 2015, so where did the craze go?
I ask my Dad, who's the most emotive Rugby viewer I have ever seen.
Dad laughs down the phone when I ask him if we would ever see a team like the 2015 squad, “Mate! Have you ever heard of Invincibles?” The ‘Invincibles’ was a nickname given to the 1924 and 1925 All Blacks team that won 32 of the games they played overseas.
Dad says it's hard to judge the present All Blacks team as the game has changed so drastically. “It has shifted into a completely different game. Even when we won the cup in 2015, the rules now are still completely different with TMO (Television Match Protocol) calling up on the tiniest tap of your toe on the line.”
A key factor could also be the cost of seeing an All Blacks game. Cheap tickets in the nosebleeds are $65. Super Rugby tickets are a lot easier to get hold of for as cheap as $25, which gives Rugby fans a cheaper opportunity to see their favourite players. This makes teams like the Hurricanes and the Chiefs that much more accessible. And league games for the Warriors are around $15, according to their website. Not to mention the ‘Up the Wahs’ phenomenon that captured fans hearts.
The All Blacks were worth $197 million in 2015, according to Bloomberg. And most recently in 2023 they were reported to be worth $452 million. So, money isn’t the issue necessarily.
But perhaps other teams have gone up in value. The Warriors made history in 2024 by becoming the first team to sell out an entire home NRL season, seeing nearly 250,000 fans arrive at Go Media Stadium Mt Smart. The Hurricanes sold out their home game in August, with over 36,000 fans, even filling 2,000 temporary seats.
The All Blacks are still good, but other teams have just gotten better.
Since 2015, women’s Rugby has also become better recognised, most notably the phenomenal Black Ferns. Following their triumph at the 2021 Women's Rugby World Cup, player Ruby Tui declared, “They said people don't care about women's Rugby, well, we are not going anywhere.”
But Dad argues that the current All Blacks are underestimated. “They are a learning team. They have done incredibly well this season. I don't know what people are getting all uptight about.”
“It's an exciting young developing team who are great players. I think next year we will see the might of the All Blacks start flexing.”
So, perhaps Dad has a point — the All Blacks aren't over, but just evolving.
With the All Blacks in a metamorphosis and the domination of the Black Ferns, Super Rugby, and League, New Zealand sport is no longer solely defined by our men’s Rugby team.
However, Rugby is still the glue of our national identity. For 80 minutes Kiwis are united — whether it's in the stands or hovering around a box TV screen. And that's what it felt like as the final whistle blew on September 28th, the All Blacks’ first victory in Wellington in six years. Old men patted each other's back, while young kids with half black and white faces cheered from their dad’s shoulders.