The Effect of Rugby’s Globalization and the All Blacks on New Zealand’s Cultural Heritage

The Effect of Rugby’s Globalization and the All Blacks on New Zealand’s Cultural Heritage

“Kaua e mate wheke mate ururoa”

(Don’t die like an octopus, die like a hammerhead shark)

Maori Proverb

William Fyfe

ANTH1002 Winter 2015

Professor Paul Thibaudeau 

PhD Candidate Matthew Hawkins

Wednesday March the 2nd, 2015

The Effect of Rugby’s Globalization and the All Blacks on New Zealand’s Culture

Introduction

 ‘Octopus are renown for their lack of resistance when being captured, however a hammerhead shark will fight bitterly to the end, to the point that when you fillet it fresh, its meat quivers. Commonly used to encourage someone not to give up, no matter how hard the struggle is.’ (Maori Proverb used a lot in cohesion with the All-Black Rugby Team).

As the top rated International Team in the world New Zealand with the lowest population of the top three teams (N.Z., South Africa and England) why does it continue to lead in international pack year after year? With a population of 4 million (world bank.com) comparing to England’s 63 million and South Africa’s 52 million potential candidates to play on the international teams what makes them the leader by 5.47 points on the world rugby scoring tables (worldbank.com). The All-Blacks have a 76% win ratio (Fordyce, T.) since the beginning of the world-renowned team in 1903. The statistics continue to show what an incredible team this country has become with the odds against them in many ways.

Many factors may come into play when researching the All-Blacks and their documented strength on the rugby field, though one factor extremely different to any other international team can be seen to push the All-Blacks on to success. The Maori culture that can be seen on the field, from players being of direct genetic descent to the Haka War Dance performed at the start of every international test match. From this, solely, an observer may remark that the warlike Maori culture brought to the rugby field can be attested to the constant standing of ground that the All-Blacks tactically play like. Watching the team it is easy for an observer to decipher that the All-Blacks attest to their strong defense, keeping them ahead of their opposition.

        New Zealand is not known to be a strong country resourcefully and shall never be a leader in the world global market, though, why are they so well known? What is the attraction of the world to this small island? As well as imagined beautiful scenery, attractive accents and a good attitude the culture that most Kiwis are born into includes a lot of rugby. Those who wish too, can have a lifestyle dedicated to rugby, having opportunities to move up in schools, in county and in province and one day even play for the New Zealand All-Blacks Rugby Team.

Social Group Description

Being discovered by British explorer, Captain James Cook in the 1600’s and later having the Treaty of Waitangi signed by both the British Crown and the various Maori chiefs in 1840, New Zealand as a British colony was very influenced by England. As well as the influence of Social Class, Economic structure and other influences from the Empire, sporting came along with England. Not only ranking number 1 in the world for rugby but also ranking 5th in the world at cricket (retrieved from I.C.C. rankings) and placing high in netball, polo, and field hockey and sailing. One may be able to tell that all these sports have in common that they are known ‘Empire’ sports and this may still have a bearing on why New Zealand does well in rugby with its Commonwealth background.

In the early years of the All-Blacks (1880-1907) the team was not legally owned by New Zealand, though the press as the All-Blacks dubbed them, especially when their first tour took place to England and Ireland. In response to the extreme support by the country for their team the government formally took legal obligation to the team and provided support and went to the extent that ‘in 1907 to play for the All-Blacks was to enter National Service’ (Hope, Wayne). With such a significant relevance for a country to have a membership on a sports team exempt one from their service shows that historically New Zealand has always had a deep connection with the support.

Rugby was not just a social feature of colonial settlement. Exclusive Maori clubs were formed as expressions of tribal, local and cultural solidarity. Many matches took place between the colonizers and the Maori, often causing more trouble then solutions with disputes on the rules of engagement in the game. ‘Though as New Zealand was progressing from a colony of the British Empire towards an independent nation, rugby was emerging as its national sport’ (Wayne, Hope). Similar to the All-Blacks now, each Maori team performed the Haka before any game, in order to remember the history it had trained together for warfare in days prior to rugby.  

When the First World War began, the interest of Rugby blossoming as a National Sport in New Zealand was lost as the men (of playing age) were dispatched to serve overseas and fight. Of the 100,000 New Zealand troops who served overseas nearly 17,000 were killed and 45,000 wounded (McDonald, 1996). ‘For frontline soldiers, rugby was rugby, but was total carnage’ (Wayne, Hope). At the end of the war clubs were extremely weak with a lack of both money and young fit men.

Though in a time of remorse and remembrance rugby proved to bring the nation back together to strengthen it once again. Rugby became a cultural resource, performing a dual role; having a highly structured ritual of participation and forming rivalry among schools clubs and provinces (Fougere, 1989). Though as rugby grew and the NZRFU (New Zealand Rugby Football Union) had put into place the laws of the game and approved a backed national team the Second World War came around. Groups of volunteers were recruited from rugby clubs all over New Zealand and the same result of the First World War came about in the conclusion of the war, desperate for players and resources to restart the clubs.