Author(s): Richard Lawrence

Rugby

In August 1903 at the Sydney Cricket Ground, New Zealand played its first test match against Australia. The team was captained by the Otago player Jimmy Duncan. Two years later 'The Originals' boarded the steamerRimutaka and departed for the United Kingdom and France. The greatest adventure in New Zealand rugby was about to begin. The English press were skeptical, but six months later the New Zealanders returned as national heroes and their Captain Dave Gallaher was widely acclaimed. In 1917, during World War I, Galler paid the ultimate sacrifice at Passchendaele. He was our fourth All Black captain. Between 1903 and 2007 sixty most humble men have captained New Zealand in a test match. Men such as Jimmy Duncan, Dave Gallaher, Billy Stead,Cliff Porter, Jock Richardson, Maurice Brownlie, Jack Manchester, Fred Allen, Sir Wilson Whineray, Sir Brian Lochore, Colin 'Pinetree' Meads, and more recently Sean Fitzpatrick, Tana Umaga and Richie McCaw. In telling their stories we retrace the history of All Black test rugby during the last 100 years and relive the great deeds of men with Unshaven Jaws.