1888–89 New Zealand Native football team

The New Zealand Natives (German inhabitants of New Zealand ) was a New Zealand rugby team, who traveled in 1888 and 1889 by New Zealand, Australia and the UK. Sponsored by private individuals team comprised 26 players. They had no official character ( the Association New Zealand Rugby Football Union was founded in 1892), was composed almost exclusively of Māori, and was the first choice of a British colony, was in the mother country Great Britain as a guest. 2008 the team was inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame.

During her ten -month tour, the team carried out 107 games. The New Zealand Natives won 78 games, lost 23 times and reached six times a draw. In addition, Australian football and football was played in a few cases in Australia. Since 1910, the New Zealand Māori continue the tradition of a committee composed of representatives of the New Zealand Native team selection.

Course of the virgin tour

The idea of ​​a team consisting of Māori who should games are played in the UK, went back to the rugby player Joseph Warbrick. Thomas Eyton, who in 1887 visited some rugby games during the Jubilee of Queen Victoria and had found that the British were in no way superior playful, learned of Rick's Warblers plans. Later, James Scott was joined by a third partner. The roles were distributed as follows: Warbrick as team captain, Scott as team manager and Eyton as an organizer.

Since there was no national association of private funds team selection was nothing in the way. The promoters put on the fascination of the British visitors from distant parts of the Empire, and especially for indigenous athletes. Model was a cricket team of Aborigines from the western part of the Australian colony of Victoria, who had played 47 games in 1868 in the UK and achieved a considerable financial gain.

Warbrick began in early 1888 with the compilation of the team. Besides Warbrick were twenty other Māori and - contrary to the original intention - even five Pākehā ( New Zealanders of European descent ) to the squad. For this reason, the team of New Zealand Māori in New Zealand Native Football Representatives was (in short New Zealand Natives ) renamed. Before leaving for overseas the Natives first toured through New Zealand and played against several national teams of the provincial associations. The first game took place on June 23, 1888 in Napier against the Hawke's Bay Rugby Union instead.

On 1 August 1888, the Natives of Dunedin traveled by ship to Melbourne. After two games we went via the Suez Canal to Britain. During the six -week journey by steamboat, the New Zealanders kept fit with coal shovels. They finally arrived at Tilbury on 27 September, 1888. The first game on British soil was discharged six days later in Richmond upon Thames against the selection of the county of Surrey, and won 4-1.

The Natives were - as some two decades later - the All Blacks ( national ) all dressed in black and carried before the game starts each a ritual dance of the Māori to the world later became known Haka. On average, the natives all wore 2.3 days for a match (For comparison: In the modern game, the break is usually a week and the teams also have more players). Due to the lack of recovery time, there have been minor injuries. The backlash-free days were used for sightseeing.

During the tour, the natives wore out three internationals. They won against Wales and lost to Ireland and England. The Māori were criticized in the south of England, where the Rugby game was coined because of their aristocratic to energetic playing style. However, in northern England, where rugby was more of a game of the working class and a few years later, the professional variant Rugby League seceded, was praised their fairness. In the north also not bothered by the declared intention of the New Zealander to earn money with the tour. Consequently, also took place most of the games here.

After the last game in Leyton on March 27, 1889, the natives continued their journey to Australia. From mid- May to the end of July they toured several cities in the east of the country. They also played eight times Australian Football and soccer twice, albeit far less successful than in the rugby matches. In August, followed by a conclusion a short tour of New Zealand. The last game was played against the Auckland Rugby Football Union on 24 August 1889.

It was not until 1905/ 06 traveled back a New Zealand selection to Europe, this time not as a private company, but as official representatives of the national federation. That team lost only one game and was known as the "Original All Blacks ." Five years later, the New Zealand Rugby Football Union presented together for the first time a Māori selection, the New Zealand Māori.

Results Overview

Rugby

Australian Football

Football