WELLINGTON: The All Blacks have a decent claim to being the most successful men's national team in any major sport and for decades their success has been tied to New Zealand's sense of itself.
"The nation has changed and rugby hasn't," he said."Rugby is not a social glue or a transcending canopy over social life any more." Indigenous New Zealanders and players from the wider Pacific islands community have been increasingly influential in recent years and the performance of the traditional Maori challenge, the haka, is a big attraction at their matches.
When asked their perception of how important the outcome of the World Cup was to other New Zealanders, however, the number rose to more than 75 per cent. The national women's Black Ferns side are even more successful than the All Blacks with a winning record of close to 90 per cent, and NZR sees the growth of the game for the female population as a major opportunity.
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