All Blacks History - The Name? ( Part 2 )
The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
In its 1966 edition the Encyclopedia recounts the "printer's error" theory but then goes on to remark "Printer's error aside, one may assume that the 1905 team which wore "all black" uniformonly recently adopted-would sooner or later receive such a name."
We think that is a large assumption by the Encyclopedia. The English have played in white since 1871 without becoming known as the "All Whites".
John, the Museum co-founder, knew both Billy Wallace and Bunny Abbott, the last two survivors of the 1905/6 "Originals', and recalls that both were in absolutely no doubt a printer's error was the reason for the name. Abbott in particular had every reason to remember the Hartlepool match, which was when the 'all backs' reference is stated to have been made. Bunny picked up an infection in that game which proved serious enough for there to be talk of the amputation of a leg, certainly a serious enough matter to focus the mind on that match.
In "THE ALL BLACKS" (published 1991) Terry wrote about two newspapermen aboard the tender on which dignitaries greeted the 1905/6 New Zealand team. One of the reporters bearded a player, questioning him as to the colour of the team's jersey; its knickers; its stocking. To each question, the player answered with just one word 'Black.' The conversation ended when the player, in a burst of eloquence, remarked 'We are all black.'" But Terry does not go on to quote the newspaper concerned. In his "N Z RUGBY LEGENDS" (1987) he tells the same story, but suggests the reporter must have been J A Buttery of the London Daily Mail.
Ron Palenski
He can't find a reference to "all backs" in the Daily Mail account of the Hartlepool match either (that's the match report purportedly stating 'New Zealand team all backs'). Ron does however point out that 1905/6 All Black Manager George Dixon kept a tour diary in which, from the time the team left Wellington, he constantly refers to the team as "the Blacks".
Anonymous
The caller had been told by his mother that the 1905 team arrived on the ship taking them to England with a motley collection of playing gear. For the sake of uniformity they decided to die it all black. This may have applied to training gear, but the New Zealand team had played in black jersey, shorts and socks since 1901.
Ianto Metcalfe BEM
As a boy in Wales lanto was taken by a great uncle, who had played for Cardiff against the "Originals", to see the 1935/6 All Blacks play Wales. Afterwards the great uncle shouted cream buns, crumpets and tea. The conversation got around to how the All Blacks came by their name. On their return home the uncle showed lanto a 1905/6 newspaper clipping referring to the New Zealand team playing like "All Backs" and then stated that another paper had them as "All Blacks".
He Liked It!
Buttery plainly was hugely impressed by the New Zealander's performance at Hartlepool and was heavily into the purple prose in attempting to describe it eg. 'Yesterday's performance was positively thrilling from start to finish. Old internationals who have seen and taken part in many a stirring struggle stood and watched the New Zealanders' amazing exhibition of speed, strength and cleverness with sparkling eyes and bated breath, with an occasional gasp of supreme wonderment at some more than usually daring or novel achievement. The game from beginning to end was a succession of football pyrotechnics, so brilliant so varied, as to defy description. Only those who saw them could possibly conceive the height to which they reached'.
Summary
The difficulty with the theory about the printer's error after the New Zealand team had been styled "all backs" in a newspaper report is that we cannot find any such report. The Museum currently holds three scrapbooks of 1905/6 press clippings, all with reports relating to the critical Hartlepool match. None contain the 'all backs' reference, not even the one from the Daily Mail. Wallace, Abbott and others are plaint' sincere in their belief about "All Blacks" arising from a newspaper report and subsequent error. But until that newspaper report can be found it seems more likely the name came from the black playing gear.
Finally, the first reference to 'All Blacks' is found in the Daily Mail account of the Hartlepool match. The Daily Mail reporter, J A Buttery, in his introduction to the tour book "WHY THE ALL BLACKS TRIUMPHED" states the All Blacks were so called "because of their sombre football garb".
To us at the Rugby Museum that seems reasonably conclusive.
In our newsletters of April and October 1999 we examined the theories about the origin of the "All Black" name, but without coming to any firm conclusion. Now Ron Palenski, sports writer and Chief Executive of the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame, has come up with what seems to be the last word on the subject. With Ron's permission we reproduce from his excellent recently published book THE JERSEY his account of the origin of the term.
