The 1980 New Zealand tour of Wales was a collection of friendly

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

games undertaken by the New Zealand

All Blacks The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987 ...

against

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

that also took in two international games in North America en route to

South Wales South Wales ( cy, De Cymru) is a loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, south Wales extends westwards ...

. This was a single test tour against each of the countries played, with four games against Welsh club opposition. Although the games were played within a tight schedule, the All Blacks were victorious in all seven matches. New Zealand scored 32 tries for and only conceding 2 against, for a total points tally of 197 to 41 over the entire tour.

Results

Touring party

*Manager: R.A. Harper *Assistant Manager: Eric Watson *Captain:

Graham Mourie Graham Neil Kenneth Mourie (born 8 September 1952) is a former New Zealand All Black flanker and coach of the Hurricanes. He was one of the great All Black captains in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He was first selected for the All Blacks in ...

(Taranaki)

Full-backs

Brett Codlin Brett William Codlin (born 29 November 1956) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. A full-back, Codlin represented Canterbury and Counties at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks Th ...

(Counties) *

Doug Rollerson Douglas Leslie Rollerson (14 May 1953 – 3 May 2017) was a New Zealand rugby union and rugby league player, and rugby union executive. Rugby union Primarily a fullback and first five-eighth, Rollerson represented Manawatu at a provincial lev ...

(Manawatu)

Three-quarters

* Bernie Fraser (Wellington) * Bruce Robertson (Counties) *

Stu Wilson Stu Wilson (born 22 July 1954, in Gore, New Zealand, Gore) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. He played for Wellington Lions, Wellington and New Zealand, captaining the national team in the 1983 New Zealand rugby union tour of Scotland ...

(Wellington) *

Fred Woodman Fred Akehurst Woodman (born 10 February 1958) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. A wing, Woodman represented North Auckland at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, in 1980 and 1981. He p ...

(North Auckland)

Five-eighths

Nicky Allen Nicholas Houghton Allen (30 August 1958 – 7 October 1984) was a New Zealand rugby union player. A first five-eighth, Allen represented Auckland and Counties at a provincial level. He played nine matches, including two tests, for the New Zealan ...

(Counties) *

Bill Osborne William Michael Osborne (born 24 April 1955) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. A second five-eighth and centre, Osborne represented Wanganui and Waikato at a provincial level. Started his club career with the local Kaierau Rugby Union ...

(Wanganui) *

Murray Taylor Murray Barton Taylor (born 25 August 1956) is a retired rugby union player from New Zealand. He played thirty matches for the New Zealand national rugby union team, All Blacks in the late 1970s and early 1980s; seven of these were Test match (rug ...

(Waikato)

Half-backs

Mark Donaldson Mark Gregor Strang Donaldson, (born 2 April 1979) is an Australian soldier and a recipient of the Victoria Cross for Australia, the highest award in the Australian honours system. Then Trooper Donaldson was a member of the Special Air Service ...

(Manawatu) *

Dave Loveridge David Steven Loveridge (born 22 April 1952) is an All Black of the late 1970s and early 1980s, known in his time as the greatest halfback in the world. Life and career Loveridge was born in 1952, in Stratford, New Zealand, to Horace and Marg ...

(Taranaki)

Forwards

John Ashworth John Ashworth may refer to: * John Ashworth (cricketer) (1850–1901), English cricketer * John Ashworth (footballer), English professional footballer * John Ashworth (judge) (1906–1975), England judge and barrister *John Ashworth (preacher) (181 ...

(Canterbury) *

Andy Dalton Andrew Gregory Dalton (born October 29, 1987) is an American football quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed "Red Rifle", Dalton previously played for the Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, and ...

(Counties) *

Andy Haden Andrew Maxwell Haden (26 September 195029 July 2020) was a New Zealand rugby union player and All Black captain. He played at lock for Auckland and New Zealand from 1972 until 1985. He also played club rugby in the United Kingdom and Italy. Lif ...

(Auckland) * Graeme Higginson (Canterbury) * Geoff Hines (Waikato) *

Rod Ketels Rodney Clive Ketels (born 11 November 1954) Ketels represented counties at provincial level on 173 occasions from 1974 to 1987 3rd on the all-time list of games played for the union Ketels was a member of the champion Counties NPC team in 1979. ...

(Counties) *

Gary Knight Gary Knight (born 1964) is an Anglo-American photographer, editor and author. Co-founder of the VII Photo Agency, co-founder and CEO of the VII Foundation and founder and CEO of the VII Academy. Life and work Knight was born in 1964 in Oakham ...

(Manawatu) *

Murray Mexted Murray Graham Mexted (born 5 September 1953) is a former New Zealand rugby union player who played 34 consecutive tests for the All Blacks from 1979 to 1985. He also played 38 non-test games including 7 as captain. During his time with the All B ...

(Wellington) *

(Taranaki) *

Geoff Old Geoffrey Haldane Old (born 22 January 1956) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. Predominantly a number eight, Old represented Taranaki briefly and then Manawatu at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, ...

(Manawatu) * Frank Oliver (Manawatu) *

Hika Reid Hikatarewa Rockcliffe "Hika" Reid (born 8 April 1958) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. A hooker, Reid represented Bay of Plenty and Wellington at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks ...

(Bay of Plenty) * Mark Shaw (Manawatu) *

John Spiers John Spiers (born 1975) is an English melodeon, concertina and bandoneon player. He is widely recognised as one of the leading English melodeon players of his generation. Career left, Performing with Jackie Oates at Purbeck Valley Folk Fe ...

(Counties)

Matches

United States

Canada

Cardiff RFC

Llanelli RFC

Like the game played three days earlier against Cardiff, Llanelli proved tough opposition for the touring New Zealand side. Of the seven games played during the tour this was the closest in score, with only a six-point margin and at half time Llanelli were actually 10–3 ahead. This match is often remembered for a controversial refereeing decision by Scottish referee Alan Hosie. Towards the end of the game, with the match still in the balance, Hosie appeared to send off the All Black lock, Graeme Higginson, only for a group of Llanelli players, led by

Phil Bennett Philip Bennett (24 October 1948 – 12 June 2022) was a Welsh rugby union player who played as a fly-half for Llanelli RFC and the Wales national team. He began his career in 1966, and a year later he had taken over from Barry John as Llanell ...

to challenge the referee over the action. Higginson was allowed to stay on the field with Hosie stating later that there was no sending off, and he had only giving Higginson a warning.

Swansea RFC

Newport RFC

Wales

The All Blacks returned to the Cardiff Arms Park in the final game of the tour and quickly showed a dominance of the game that would continue until the final whistle. The fact that roughly 85% of the match was played in the Welsh half of the field correlates with the final score and the four tries from New Zealand that were without a Welsh reply. The defeat would have been far heavier, but Rollerson managed to convert only three of nine attempts at goal. From this match only three Welsh players emerged with any credit. Full back J.P.R. Williams, scrum half

Terry Holmes Terence David "Terry" Holmes (born 10 March 1957) is a Welsh former rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who won 25 caps for as a scrum-half, and later played rugby league for Bradford Northern. Holmes was a highly physical ...

and on the wing 19-year-old Robert Ackerman, whose excellent covering play of

earned him a standing ovation when he left the field with an injury before the final whistle.Rothmans Rugby Yearbook 1981–82

Vivian Jenkins Vivian Gordon James "Viv" Jenkins (2 November 1911 – 5 January 2004) was a Welsh rugby union player who, having taught Classics and Games at Dover College, went on to have a successful career as a sports journalist. He won 14 caps for Wales an ...

(1982) pg 42

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:New Zealand

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC. * January 9 – ...

1980 in New Zealand rugby union 1980–81 in Welsh rugby union 1980–81 in European rugby union 1980 in Canadian rugby union