The New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name. The team's colours are black with white and the players perform a haka before every match they play as a challenge to their opponents. The New Zealand Kiwis are the current World Cup-holders and won the Four Nations competition in 2010, making them the second strongest international rugby league team behind arch rivals and current Four Nations winners Australia. Since the 1990s players for the team have been largely sourced from clubs in Australasia's National Rugby League with the occasional player from Europe's Super League. Before that players were sourced mostly from clubs in domestic New Zealand leagues.
The team first played in a 1907 professional rugby tour which pre-dated the birth of rugby league football in the Southern Hemisphere, making it the second oldest national side after England. Since then the Kiwis have regularly competed in international competition, touring Europe and Australia throughout the 20th century. New Zealand have competed in every Rugby League World Cup since the first in 1954, reaching the final of the past three tournaments. In 2008 New Zealand made history by winning the World Cup for the first time. They also contest the Baskerville Shield against Great Britain, and play an annual ANZAC Test against Australia.
Read more about New Zealand National Rugby League Team: History, Kits, Players
Famous quotes containing the words zealand, national, league and/or team:
“Teasing is universal. Anthropologists have found the same fundamental patterns of teasing among New Zealand aborigine children and inner-city kids on the playgrounds of Philadelphia.”
—Lawrence Kutner (20th century)
“Universal suffrage should rest upon universal education. To this end, liberal and permanent provision should be made for the support of free schools by the State governments, and, if need be, supplemented by legitimate aid from national authority.”
—Rutherford Birchard Hayes (1822–1893)
“We’re the victims of a disease called social prejudice, my child. These dear ladies of the law and order league are scouring out the dregs of the town. C’mon be a glorified wreck like me.”
—Dudley Nichols (1895–1960)
“Imagination is a valuable asset in business and she has a sister, Understanding, who also serves. Together they make a splendid team and business problems dissolve and the impossible is accomplished by their ministrations.... Imagination concerning the world’s wants and the individual’s needs should be the Alpha and Omega of self-education.”
—Alice Foote MacDougall (1867–1945)