Māori All Blacks 2025

According to Wikipedia "[Fred] Ah Kuoi made his international début for New Zealand Māori in 1975, at the age of 18. He toured Australia with the side, participated in the 1975 Pacific Cup and faced Australia, Wales, England and France in New Zealand.[5] "

The article I mentioned in a nearby post said Naitoa is related to Fred (if related to Fred then related to John Kirwan!)

hikastags

Somebody asked where Ah Kuoi was on the squad post on Instagram.

Ah Kuoi replied that he’s Samoan Chinese.

gt12

That is the reason why we shouldn't be using the Maori right now.
Ceremonial match once a year, or change the criteria, or bring out the fucking ABXV for these matches.

Happy to die on this hill - NZRU not a professional organization, we should be developing and playing the guys at the next level down, regardless of their whakapapa.

Nepia

@gt12 said in Māori All Blacks 2025:

That is the reason why we shouldn't be using the Maori right now.
Ceremonial match once a year, or change the criteria, or bring out the fucking ABXV for these matches.

Happy to die on this hill - NZRU not a professional organization, we should be developing and playing the guys at the next level down, regardless of their whakapapa.

I think they do it for "professional" reasons - IIRC it costs less and they are able to get a better fee for the team than the AB XV.

gt12

@Nepia said in Māori All Blacks 2025:

@gt12 said in Māori All Blacks 2025:

That is the reason why we shouldn't be using the Maori right now.
Ceremonial match once a year, or change the criteria, or bring out the fucking ABXV for these matches.

Happy to die on this hill - NZRU not a professional organization, we should be developing and playing the guys at the next level down, regardless of their whakapapa.

I think they do it for "professional" reasons - IIRC it costs less and they are able to get a better fee for the team than the AB XV.

Fine, then relax the criteria.

The NZ Maori are our second team and promote the role of Maori in shaping the fabric of rugby in New Zealand.

Players will develop a stronger understanding of Tikanga Māori and its role as a core component of rugby in NZ, regardless of whether they have Maori whakapapa.

kiwiinmelb

@nostrildamus said in Māori All Blacks 2025:

@kiwiinmelb said in Māori All Blacks 2025:

Fred Ah Kuoi

According to Wikipedia "[Fred] Ah Kuoi made his international début for New Zealand Māori in 1975, at the age of 18. He toured Australia with the side, participated in the 1975 Pacific Cup and faced Australia, Wales, England and France in New Zealand.[5] "

The article I mentioned in a nearby post said Naitoa is related to Fred (if related to Fred then related to John Kirwan!)

Yeah in those day’s because there were fewer of them I guess ( and people questioned things less 😀) Samoans played for the Maori league team , Dennis Williams , James leuluai did too .

Fred was born in Samoa

brodean

@gt12

They should have more of both imo. Develop our players.

zedsdeadbaby

You could probably massage it and add say three non-qualifying players like they do in the Olympics and have the qualifier that they display the values of Tikanga Maori.
I doubt it will ever happen though - the heritage of the Maori jersey is too tapu.

ARHS

Picking an NZ Maori team to play this time of year is what seems crazy. No ABs, no Under 20s and a bunch of worn out super players. Far better to play an AB xv of next best available. Then have the best Maori All Black selection play maybe as a prelude to Northern tour, or after the Championship. So weak in front row, halfback and wing, it devalues the history of the team in my view

gt12

@ARHS

And, you’ve touched on this, we’ll be putting games into guys a million miles from international rugby while some of our next best will sit around on their asses then prepare to play semi -pro rugby against amateurs.

This lack of alignment shows how far away NZRU is from being a professional organization.

brodean

@ARHS

I don't see the front row as weak compared to what Japan XV and Scotland B put out.

Maybe Japan want a bit of a more competitive game than AB XV who have hammered them in recent years?

Nepia

@gt12 said in Māori All Blacks 2025:

@Nepia said in Māori All Blacks 2025:

@gt12 said in Māori All Blacks 2025:

That is the reason why we shouldn't be using the Maori right now.
Ceremonial match once a year, or change the criteria, or bring out the fucking ABXV for these matches.

Happy to die on this hill - NZRU not a professional organization, we should be developing and playing the guys at the next level down, regardless of their whakapapa.

I think they do it for "professional" reasons - IIRC it costs less and they are able to get a better fee for the team than the AB XV.

Fine, then relax the criteria.

The NZ Maori are our second team and promote the role of Maori in shaping the fabric of rugby in New Zealand.

Players will develop a stronger understanding of Tikanga Māori and its role as a core component of rugby in NZ, regardless of whether they have Maori whakapapa.

I'd rather the AB XV play than that option.

Bones

@ARHS said in Māori All Blacks 2025:

a bunch of worn out super players. Far better to play an AB xv of next best available.

That would be an ABXV of worn out super players though....

WildWest

@gt12 The New Zealand Presidents XV and NZ Baabaas teams have in the past fulfilled the role you are talking about, in addition to ABXV and other teams. I once watched NZ Baabaas play against Maori ABs at Eden Park, for instance.

The Silver Fern

Māori All Blacks 2025