<p>On 22 May 1884, the first representative New Zealand rugby team kicked off against Wellington XV, before embarking on a tour of New South Wales. There the team won all its eight games, scoring 167 points and conceding only 17. Rugby at an international level has been a favourite following for many New Zealanders ever since.
</p><p>This is the front page and team page from an All Blacks souvenir book published in 1928. The book was produced from a three-month tour of South Africa where the All Blacks played the Springbok team. A series of four test matches was drawn 2–2 and the overall tour record was sixteen wins, five losses and one draw. The souvenir book comes from Archives New Zealand's Patent Copyright collection.
</p><p>Archives Reference: PC4 2258/1928
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</p><p>Material from Archives New Zealand
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Caption information from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/first-nz-rugby-team-tours-overseas">www.nzhistory.net.nz/first-nz-rugby-team-tours-overseas</a>
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.flickr.com/people/35759981@N08">Archives New Zealand</a> from New Zealand
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<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/archivesnz/14715643906/">All Blacks Souvenir Book, 1928</a>