New Zealand's Rugby History

NOTE: This site currently shows all data & other information from 1962 to 2023.
62 years of people, stats & other information

Now working on 1961.

As at today there are 18,751 male players, 1,652 female players, 994 referees &
697 coaches recorded .

I need more information about the early 2000's and back in the womens game.

This site is private, in that there is no ownership by any rugby authority.
However funding to keep it going is being sought.

Check the great poem in the endorsements.

If anyone out there could help with suggestions as to how to help with future funding to continue to grow the features on the site (especially getting the team & club photos scanned) it would be much appreciated.

This is the story of the people who make this great game of ours so important in every community throughout New Zealand. Instead of a book, this history is made available for you, on this publicly accessible website, so that it can updated after each year's competitions have concluded.

It is a record of every player, coach & referee (male & female) who has participated in at least one 'first class' game.

You can Search for any player, referee or coach. This function even allows you to search by Province or Super Franchise or even by club (for a player).

What the site covers:

1: A list of all players & their achievements

2: A list of all referees & the games they reffed.

3: A list of all coaches & their achievements

4: The full list of results for every All Black games, every Provincial Union's games & every Super Team's games. This includes statistical results, plus lists of players who played more than 50 games, scored 100 or more points or scored 10 or more tries

5: Check out the Honours.
This is where you can find out who were all the people who won a Rugby Honour from when they started, eg. Player of the Year

5: Check out the New Feature called Items of Interest.
Did you know who scored the most tries or scored the most points, or played the most games?
Did you know scored in all four ways in the same game?
And lots more.

The author of this history is Kerry Geertson who can be contacted at coach [at] internet.co.nz

Acknowledgements: My thanks to the authors of the many NZ Rugby Almanacks which I have been able to use for much of the information, especially to Clive Akers. A special mention for the NZ Rugby Register compiled by Clive.

Please don't hesitate to coach [at] internet.co.nz (tell me) if you have an idea for improvement. If it is possible to incorporate your suggestions then I will do it.
If you happen to know the first name of any player, coach or referee that is not currently shown then please let us know, so that the history is complete.

Endorsement

It gives me great pleasure to write this character reference about this website. There would not be a person in this country who doesn’t know that rugby is the national game of New Zealand. The passion runs deep and the profile and exposure of the sport is without peer. A fair chunk of our heroes come from the game and nothing affects the mental psychology of the people more than rugby. Not even politics.

Because of this rich feeling, discussions in society are often based around the game and on the players involved. Memories tend to play tricks on people. They can fade and forget and get things muddled up. For nearly 90 years New Zealand rugby enthusiasts have been superbly served by the Rugby Almanack. It remains the definitive source of information from each season despite the advancement of technology.

However, we must accept that technology has advanced and like rugby, we therefore need to embrace the good that comes with that change. www.rugbyhistory.co.nz is the best rugby history site that is available. It provides comprehensive records of the All Blacks, all the Super rugby sides and most impressively of all, places a large emphasis on the national provincial competition, which remains such a crucial part of the fabric in New Zealand.

Kery Geertson’s dedication to this growing rugby treasure can not be denied. It continues to grow, mature and impress. To paraphrase the late, great Terry McLean www.rugbyhistory.co.nz should be stored as a favourite website for every rugby lover; it provides facts and fairness and hours of one of life’s greatest pleasures – browsing.

Grant Hassall
Wannabe Rugby Historian
New Plymouth

More endorsements...