Kōrero: Rural mythologies

In 2007, when this cartoon appeared, Daniel Carter was a successful All Black. He was also the owner of a chain of stylish clothes shops and appeared in advertisements for Jockey underpants. In the light of past images of All Blacks as tough farmers, the alien in the cartoon was entitled to ask whether Dan Carter really did play rugby. The change in the All Blacks’ image – from lamb-carrying Colin Meads to underpants-modelling Dan Carter – expressed how far urban style had replaced the rural mythology at the core of New Zealand identity by the early 2000s.