The All Blogs

I was having a chat with Ronnie over at 160676 about the various names of New Zealand's sporting teams. Ben is the guy for this subject. As many of you know the NZ rugby side are known as The All Blacks. Apparently this name originates from a Somerset printers' error in 1905.

Most of the other NZ sporting sides take their names after the famous All Blacks. The football team are called The All Whites. For the ladies, the rugby side are known as The Black Ferns and the football team Swanz.

Onto the more amusing names now. Having recently shocked the basketball world by defeating the world champions Serbia & Montenegro, the NZ basketball side rejoice in the monkier The Tall Blacks and in the Paralympics, the New Zealand Wheelchair rugby side go by the name of The Wheel Blacks.

Here's what Ben has to say on the subject.

Have been discussing with Tom over recent weeks the names given to New Zealand national sports teams. Something that, to me isn't that weird. Mainly because I have grown up not knowing otherwise. I have a list here below, out of the ones I know. I'll add more if I can think of them. Not sure what to think of it all, in a sense, its kinda silly, but its also a good way to unify NZ's national teams.

Sport 'Nickname'
Rugby: Men’s Allblacks
Rugby: Women’s Black Ferns
Netball: Silver Ferns
Soccer: Men’s Allwhites
Basketball: Men’s Tall Blacks
Basketball: Women’s Tall Ferns
Cricket: Men’s Black Caps
Cricket: Women’s White Ferns
Softball: Men’s Black Sox
Wheel Chair Rugby Wheel Blacks
Hockey: Women’s Black Sticks
Soccer: Women’s SWANZ (?)
Ice Hockey: Ice Sticks
Softball: Women’s White Sox