What do 27 million sheep, Lord of the Rings volcanoes and the world’s greatest rugby team all have in common?
They call the island nation of New Zealand home.
New Zealanders, or Kiwis (see New Zealand’s national icon, a flightless bird), have a few different claims to fame. These include being the first country in the world to give women the vote, being the place with the world’s largest carrot and, of course, having the most successful international rugby side in the world.
In fact, the New Zealand men’s rugby team, the All Blacks, is not only the best rugby team in the world but arguably the world’s best sports team.
With a winning percentage of 77.41% over 580 international test matches (1903-2019), the All Blacks are a formidable foe for any team unfortunate enough to come up against them.
But what makes the All Blacks so successful and how has this small South Pacific island nation dominated world rugby for so long?
Flip the page to find out.