[Sport] Education time

To those readers from the Northern Hemisphere, or where rugby is not played extensively, I would like to offer some sporting information.

The All Blacks is the name given to New Zealand’s national rugby team. It is not a derogatory term; they play in all black uniforms (with a silver fern logo on the chest) and have done so since the 1890’s.

Trivia:

Prior to the 1890’s the uniform was dark navy with a gold fern, prior to the black uniforms they were known as the New Zealand Natives. This was also not meant to be derogatory as it referred to people who had been born in New Zealand rather than those who had immigrated.

This is the basic uniform of all of our sporting teams. As far as I know, we are the only nation whose national colour is black. It says a lot about us I think. Our national netball team, by the way, went in a different direction when looking for a name and is called the Silver Ferns.

All of New Zealand’s national sports teams are now named on a similar theme:

Rugby (Men) --------------- All Blacks

Netball ----------------------- Silver Ferns

Cricket (Men) -------------- Black Caps

Field Hockey (Women) - Black Sticks

Rugby (Women) ---------- Black Ferns

Basketball (Men) -------- Tall Blacks (which must have caused some strange looks at the World Basketball Champs in America a couple of years ago)

Basketball (Women) ---- Tall Ferns

Wheelchair Rugby ------- Wheel Blacks

Soccer ----------------------- All Whites (they play in white)

Cricket (Women) -------- White Ferns

American Football ------- Iron Blacks

Softball ----------------------- Black Sox (yes, we know this one is technically taken)

Badminton ------------------ Black Cocks

Wait, what was that last one?

Seriously, this is what they are currently called; not officially of course. It is a reference to shuttlecocks, but you knew that. I think that it started as a joke and now they need to distance themselves from it before it becomes the norm.

The Australian team, who New Zealand is currently playing, said that they would not consider calling themselves the Cockatoos, spoilsports.

I’ll see you later: I’m scheming on a plan it’s….