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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

All Blacks

Despite their set-piece issues, the All Blacks came again.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

The All Blacks travelled to Cape Town knowing a win would write them into the history books as the first New Zealand team to win back-to-back Tests in South Africa since the 'Incomparables' of 1996.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

The All Blacks, revitalised under new coach Dave Rennie, ran out 33-16 winners in the series opener in Johannesburg.

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026

Buoyed by victories over France and Italy, the All Blacks punished a litany of first-half Irish errors as Patrick Tuipulotu, Ardie Savea, Will Jordan and Asafo Aumua all crossed to secure the bonus point.

From BBC ● Jul. 18, 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