All Blacks

British

plural noun

the international Rugby Union football team of New Zealand

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of All Blacks

so named because of the players' black playing strip

Example Sentences

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See Examples For:

All Blacks

Slattery, who was inducted into the World Rugby hall of fame in 2007, also played 18 times for the Barbarians, including the iconic 1973 win over the All Blacks.

From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026

Ballantyne stresses she's a proud Kiwi - "I will always support the All Blacks," she jokes - but says she's been able to build a life in Australia which she couldn't back home.

From BBC ● Mar. 2, 2026

Clark said the injury was a "hammer blow" for 29-year-old Cameron, whose lone All Blacks appearance came against Japan in 2018.

From Barron's ● Feb. 21, 2026

That mark is held by retired All Blacks great Wyatt Crockett.

From Barron's ● Feb. 19, 2026

Stubbly, grim, brown leather jacket, All Blacks rugby shirt.

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023