Author(s): John Matheson & Sam Malcolmson

Other Sports

They captured the attention of the nation. As rugby - battered and bruised following the fallout of the 1981 Springbok tour - struggled to regain its hold on New Zealand, John Adshead's All Whites began one of the great stories of New Zealand sport. His unlikely band of brothers set out on the 'impossible dream' as they attempted to qualify for the 1982 World Cup in Spain. A World Cup record 14 games later the team travelled to Singapore for their David and Goliath play-off against China. The game was won and the dream had become a reality. January 2007 will mark the 25th anniversary of that famous win against China - a victory that would see the All Whites qualify for the World Cup for the first time. The team traveled to Spain and went on to play games against Scotland, Russia and Brazil. When Adshead's All Whites assembled for a 20-year reunion the team were celebrated by the mass media as the country relived the heady days of 1981 and 1982. But despite the on-going interest in the team, the true behind-the-scenes story of the 'Impossible Dream' has yet to be told. Sam Malcolmson - the All Whites' centreback - wants to tell that story.