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What’s in a name? That other All Black team that isn’t very good
The All Blacks went 13-1-2 this year. Pretty good right? Not if you’re actually a New Zealander it seems, with questions being asked if the cracks are starting to show in the world champion’s armour. Seems a bit harsh, especially since the All Blacks also put up record wins over the Springboks and Wallabies.
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But that’s just the way it is around here, which is why – at this time of the year – it’s more than a little galling to watch a team called the All Blacks get beaten by the United States. That result came in the early rounds of the World Sevens Series in Cape Town overnight.
Not just beaten either, in fact the All Blacks Sevens team was held to nil by an American side that ran in four tries. Now this isn’t a slight on the US Sevens programme, who have done outstandingly well on the World Sevens Series over the past few years. The latest win was their sixth over the All Blacks Sevens.
It’s more of a comment on how far Sevens has fallen a long way down the list of priorities of NZ Rugby. Right now the team has devolved into a youth grade outfit for guys that looking to secure contracts. That’s Mitre 10 Cup contracts, by the way, not Super Rugby. Star player Vilimoni Koroi, while admittedly still very young, didn’t even start for his Otago side when he made the switch back to fifteens a couple of months ago. Despite the seemingly bottomless pit of NZ coaching talent that’s currently heading up most national teams worldwide, the All Black Sevens don’t even have a local coach.
Is it NZ Rugby’s fault, though? Running a separate Sevens programme is a costly exercise, and you get the feeling that they wouldn’t do it if they didn’t have to. While this not might be entirely true, it is that they simply don’t have the money to make this team as great as it could be.
Which makes the reasoning to call them the All Blacks just that more baffling. For those who don’t know, the decision was made to align the top three men’s national teams as the All Blacks was made a few years ago: so we now have the All Blacks, the Maori All Blacks and the All Black Sevens.
The thinking behind it is, admittedly, sound. The All Black brand can keep going during the summer months, reaching far flung corners of the rugby world like Dubai, Vancouver and Singapore. But that brand strength is built on the fact that the All Blacks win a lot, and aren’t content to lose.
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Anyone who was new to the game wouldn’t exactly get that impression that if they tuned in to see the All Blacks get beaten 22-0 by the US. If a newspaper anywhere in the world ran a story saying ‘US whip All Blacks’, no one can really complain about the accuracy of the wording (interesting to note that one of NZ’s two major media outlets simply refuses to call them by their official name, though).
Which, unfortunately for NZ Rugby, is what is happening – making their rebrand of the team and then subsequent non-commitment to financially support it basically counterproductive. Everyone who grew up in a rugby-heavy environment knows that the All Blacks and All Black Sevens have nothing to do with each other, but those who don’t would have no idea. And that’s the exact market that the rebrand was trying to reach.
The All Black Sevens are now perennial quarter-finalists on the World Sevens Series circuit. The irony that they were far more successful (winners of 12 world titles) when they were simply the NZ Sevens team, shouldn’t be lost on the marketing team who decided to rename them.
Comments on RugbyPass
Lets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
10 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
10 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to comments