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The Hundred Years' War: All Blacks vs Springboks
The All Blacks and the Springboks have the most fearsome and controversial rivalry in rugby.
The Hundred Years' War is the story of the intense competition between the All Blacks and the Springboks over the past 100 years, the games they've played and the battles that have raged from parliaments to the streets.
It's an examination of two cultures brought together by rugby, torn apart by racism, then brought back together to forge a new era of rivalry.
There are heroes and villains on both sides, on and off the field. For every tale of battling the Boks on the highveld or in the mud of a New Zealand winter, there's one of political intrigue, injustice or cowardice. The events off the field have dramatically shaped those on it, as both the nations and the teams have undergone huge changes.
The test matches played between the two sides defined both the Springboks and All Blacks. They have a saying in South Africa: 'You're not a real Springbok until you've played the All Blacks' - perhaps the greatest sign of respect an opposition side has ever paid the most successful team in the world.
This is a history of the most brutal and relentless rugby ever played, and the century of bitter struggles that have come with it.
The Hundred Years' War is the story of the intense competition between the All Blacks and the Springboks over the past 100 years, the games they've played and the battles that have raged from parliaments to the streets.
It's an examination of two cultures brought together by rugby, torn apart by racism, then brought back together to forge a new era of rivalry.
There are heroes and villains on both sides, on and off the field. For every tale of battling the Boks on the highveld or in the mud of a New Zealand winter, there's one of political intrigue, injustice or cowardice. The events off the field have dramatically shaped those on it, as both the nations and the teams have undergone huge changes.
The test matches played between the two sides defined both the Springboks and All Blacks. They have a saying in South Africa: 'You're not a real Springbok until you've played the All Blacks' - perhaps the greatest sign of respect an opposition side has ever paid the most successful team in the world.
This is a history of the most brutal and relentless rugby ever played, and the century of bitter struggles that have come with it.
- GenresNonfictionSports
344 pages, Paperback
Published July 2, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 17, 2021
The Hundred Years' War might look like a niche read for rugby lovers, and to some extent it is. This story, about the tense and competitive relationship between the All Blacks and the Springboks is made for rugby lovers. Wall offers us much more than a story of games and players here, this is a story about history. The relationship between sports and politics, and the thread it pulls through the national identity of New Zealanders, and South Africans holds this story together. It's an engaging read beyond the game, and I am glad I was loaned it by a friend.
February 5, 2022
While there are good breakdowns of the actual rugby, what I found most interesting was the sociopolitical threads that run through the rivalry. Sport is never just sport, and I learned more about the 1981 tour and key players in that.
September 26, 2021
An excellent read that goes well beyond rugby.
June 8, 2026
A book that encapsulates the greatest sporting rivalry in the world. This book is about rugby yes, but also how the combination of racism and rugby in two nations have had some of the biggest impacts on the Mãori, Pasifika, Pakeha, Black, Coloured, Anglo-Saxon and Afrikaner culture, and how rugby changed the perception of two often forgotten countries globally. From the Montreal Olympics boycott, to bombings in America and the storming of Waikato stadium. This book has it all.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews