Union | New Zealand Rugby Union | |
---|---|---|
Emblem(s) | Silver fern | |
Coach(es) | Clayton McMillan | |
Captain(s) | Patrick Tuipulotu | |
| ||
First international | ||
Junior All Blacks 23–19 Australia A (26 June 2005) | ||
Largest win | ||
Junior All Blacks 57–8 Fiji (2 June 2007) | ||
Official website | ||
www |
The All Blacks XV is the second national rugby union team of New Zealand, after the All Blacks. New Zealand's second national team has had numerous names in its history: Junior All Blacks, New Zealand XV, New Zealand A, New Zealand B, All Blacks XV.[citation needed]
Matches played as the 'All Blacks XV' are not test matches, usually against a touring side or when on tour, and against non-top tier rugby nations.
The NZ Juniors (U23s), popularly known as the Junior All Blacks, had been active from 1958 to 1984 playing 7 international matches. They were disbanded in 1984 and replaced by a non-age restricted team called the New Zealand Emerging Players. The Emerging Players were active in 1985 and 1986 but only played internal tours in fixtures against New Zealand provincial sides. In 2006, the team was formally reintroduced and repurposed as the second national team[1] when they competed in the inaugural Pacific Nations Cup.
In 1991 a New Zealand XV played both Romania and USSR in the 'test' fixtures of their tours to New Zealand.
In 1991 a New Zealand B team played Australia B during their short tour.
In 1992 a New Zealand XV team beat England B in a pair of non-cap games during the tourists' 8-game tour.
In 1998 a New Zealand A team lost 10-18 to the England touring side at Hamilton.
In 2005 a New Zealand A team played two matches against Australia A.
In 2006, the second team was re-branded as the Junior All Blacks, inheriting the nickname of the previous New Zealand U23 team. This second XV participated in the 2006, 2007 and 2009 Pacific Nations Cup. In 2008 the Maori All Blacks played in this tournament. The Junior All Blacks were put into a hiatus shortly after the 2009 tournament. The side was then reinstated in 2019, but their first set of games were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2022 the team was re-branded once again as the All Blacks XV for matches against Ireland A and the Barbarians.
The All Blacks XV squad for their 2024 Northern Tour with matches against Irish provincial side Munster and Georgia,[3] as updated on 30 October 2024.[4]
Players in bold are players capped by the senior New Zealand national team, the All Blacks.
Head Coach: Clayton McMillan