Kōrero: Rugby union

In 1907 a number of former All Blacks left New Zealand as part of a group of professional rugby players to play against England’s Northern Union, which had broken away from the rugby union to form rugby league. In addition to the players, the team also appropriated their black colours and the All Black name. However, contemporaries dubbed the team the ‘All Golds’ in reference to their professional status. This cartoon, which appeared in the Observer in August 1907, picks up on the issues involved.