Rugby arrived in New Zealand soon after it was colonised in 1840; however, Māori were already playing a similar fast-paced contact sport played with a woven flax ball called Kī-o-rahi.
By the 1880s, the indigenous population had well and truly taken an interest in rugby too.
In fact, a team of mostly Māori players was the first to perform a haka and to wear the now iconic black jersey while touring overseas in 1888-89.
The New Zealand Native team won 78 of 107 matches over a gruelling 14 months in Britain and Australia.
These days, Māori are strongly represented across all our Teams in Black, including the Māori All Blacks.
Founded in 1910, the high-performing Māori All Blacks team is a pipeline for future All Blacks and a dominant force in its own right.
All players must have Māori whakapapa (genealogy) confirmed in order to represent the side.
