INTERNATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE · MEN’S TEAM
New Zealand national rugby league team
Kiwis
New Zealand’s men’s national rugby league team is known as the Kiwis. Its origins lie in the pioneering 1907–08 professional tour led by Albert Henry Baskerville.
- International beginnings
- 1907 tour origins
- First men’s World Cup
- 1954
- World Cup record through 2022
- World champions in 2008
When did New Zealand’s team begin?
NZRL traces the game’s beginnings to the 1907 touring party later known as the All Golds. That tour predates the formation of New Zealand Rugby League in 1910. The familiar Kiwis name and white chevron were adopted in 1938. These are three different milestones: the touring team’s beginnings, the governing body’s creation and the team’s enduring identity.
Key milestones
- 1907–08 — Baskerville’s touring side helped establish the international game.
- 1910 — New Zealand Rugby League was formed.
- 1938 — The Kiwis name and white chevron became part of the national side’s identity.
- 2008 — New Zealand won its first men’s World Cup.
Understanding this team
The Kiwis are New Zealand’s national men’s side. The New Zealand Warriors are a club in the NRL and have a separate history. The Kiwi Ferns are the national women’s team, with their own World Cup achievements.
Sources and further reading
- NZRL: national rugby league history
- Rugby League Project: New Zealand results
- NRL: history of rugby league
Profile researched: 24 October 2026. Dates distinguish representative-team origins from governing-body formation where the sources make that distinction.