The New Zealand All Blacks and Black Ferns are #BornToDare – Men’s Folio

Tudors Born To Dare manifesto reverberates across the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team from the Haka to their test matches.

In the world of team sports, several names have immortalised themselves as legends of the game thanks to their sporting success and dominance across the decades. The Reds of Manchester United and Ferrari are household names of football and Formula 1, while across the Atlantic Ocean, the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Yankees and the New England Patriots come to mind. In the world of rugby, that title belongs to the New Zealand All Blacks.

(From left to right) Tepaea Cook-Savage, Leroy Carter and Ngarohi McGarvey-Black of the New Zealand All Blacks Sevens.

What is it like to be daring from birth, to possess courage and fearlessness in pushing norms and boundaries? Some crumble under pressure, while others live up and soar beyond expectations. The New Zealand All Blacks rugby national team are on a different level, up for anything from when they don their iconic silver fern-crested black jersey and perform the world-famous Mori haka to laying their bodies on the line in fearsome rugby test matches.

(From left to right) Alena Saili, Risaleaana Pouri-Lane and Jorja Miller of the New Zealand Black Ferns Sevens.

If anyone is wondering, the games are regarded as test matches because every players and teams physicality, skill level, endurance and mental ability are laid bare on the pitch with nowhere to hide. This spirit resonates with Tudors Born To Dare manifesto. Earlier in May, the All Blacks Sevens and Black Ferns Sevens the New Zealand rugby sevens mens and womens teams were in Singapore to compete and conquered the HSBC SVNS Singapore. The Tudor Singapore team hosted some of the players and Mens Folio had the privilege of hearing from the players first-hand before the tournament about their pride in performing the haka and donning the iconic black jersey, and what Born To Dare means to them.

The Tudor manifesto is Born To Dare. How does this resonate with you and maybe the team as well? Leroy Carter (LC): Well, it can be pretty ruthless, especially in our game of Sevens. So, if you go into games and are not ready to put your body on the line, you can come out second-best. Its going to the games and willing to do whatever you can to get the job done. I think thats where there are many similarities to Tudors Born to Dare.

Jorja Miller (JM): Born To Dare in the rugby context is being courageous and having that courage. In a team like ours, we embrace it. Courage and bravery on and off the field are big things that lean into what we do daily. Courage plays a significant role in shaping our daily actions and mindset.

Risaleaana Pouri-Lane (RP): The first thing that comes to mind is going beyond expectations. We strive for greatness, to be the best at what we can be, and to be more than others try to achieve. It also relates to you guys theres no ceiling, and you can strive for whatever you want.

Alena Saili (AS): Courage was also the first word that came to my mind. Also, authenticity not being afraid to be yourself and bringing what you have to the table.

There are so much expectations and pressure going into the competitions. How do you handle them in terms of mental preparation and getting into that headspace? Tepaea Cook-Savage (TC): It starts back home with the preparation and being savage on the basics, being accountable for your learning and growth, and being able to put your head down and get stuck in training days. Its also bringing the mahi (Maori for the hard work necessary to get the job done). When were on tour, we think of the boys who dont get selected putting in the hard yards back home. Thats one thing that keeps me going, knowing that I can be back home and not travel. You cant take it for granted when youre travelling.

RP: Expectations and pressures come with the privilege of wearing the black jersey and representing our country. Its about shifting our perspective to see these challenges as opportunities. We understand that expectations and pressure will always be present, but its how we harness them positively that matters most. Experience teaches us valuable lessons; we learn and grow from facing different situations. Perfection isnt always attainable, but we continue to learn and progress by acknowledging the external noise and staying united.

One of the interesting things especially this year is that we are getting the womens Sevens team. In a sport that males traditionally dominate, what does it mean to be a female and trailblazer in this sport? AS: At this stage, Im really lucky to have reached a point where I have because there are good people before me such as my parents, even some of the girls on the team, Sarah, Portia, and Kelly, who all played in the Olympics in 2016. Seeing women come through and understanding that there is a pathway for women, girls, and even little boys makes me feel like its something to aspire to, especially in a sport that Im really interested in.

Women in different sports have been fighting for that level of performance. To see that come through in a sport especially after the work has been done by the women before what do you think is going to be the next step? Do you think youll be able to maintain this? JM: 100%; I think that even these days, the womens game has grown so much more than the mens, especially in New Zealand. Many people come out to us and say, Oh, we love watching you guys; the men are pretty boring at the moment. So thats really cool to get. And then, I guess, additionally, the culture within our team allows us to keep pushing that boat out. I cant say it especially our team but for rugby for women in general, it is never going backwards anytime soon.

What is it like coming into the team where the culture of winning has already been set-up and to establish this culture within the younger girls who are coming through the team? JM: Its cool coming in young, knowing you can be a sponge and soak up all the older players experience and knowledge. Coming into a culture like that, you know that from day one, you have to work hard because things will not be given to you. You have to work hard to get there and feel that when youre with the team.

AS: Just driving standards for the younger girls coming through and making sure that everyones at the gym and nutrition, sleep, and recovery are taken care of. So its preparing them mentally and getting them into the program.

What initially drew you to rugby? Whenever you think of New Zealand, you automatically think of rugby, but was it always going to be rugby for you guys? Ngarohi McGarvey-Black (NM): Back where Im from in New Zealand, rugby is like a religion and going to church on a Sunday. Youre born into rugby, and its the first thing you get into; every kid in New Zealand knows about the sport, grows up loving it and watches it every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday when its on. Its a way of life for us. As you get older, you turn it into an opportunity and a job, and get to travel the world.

Tell us about your feeling when you don the iconic black jersey. Is it a weight of expectation? LC: Its a hard question to answer; you dont really know, but youre proud. We dont feel the expectation or pressure when we put on the jersey. Its a special feeling within the group, and you dont want it to go away. Of course, the tournaments finish, and its almost sad you have to take it off, but then you cant wait to get into the next tournament. Its a special feeling, almost unreal, and there are no words to describe it.

The All Blacks are famous for the Haka. What does the Haka mean for you as a team? RP: We all perform the haka after we win, which goes back many years. Its such an important part of our Polynesian culture, and the Haka tells stories about our people. We talk about who we are, what the game means to us, and what it means to play alongside each other when we win.

NM: Its something special for me because Im Maori. Haka is our identity, and its what you do growing up and every day of the week. Coming into this group (the All Blacks team) was something that I prided myself on. Although its part of my culture and not Leroys, hell understand it better if I show him how we do it. He can bring his flair and attitude towards a haka when performing it. We feed off the audiences energy; the higher their energy, the better our energy and haka will be. Thats what haka is about: compassion, the challenge, love, anger, different emotions, and its up and down.

It is important that you see playing as a privilege and not for granted, and daring to push the boundaries and go beyond says a lot. Other than the physical aspects of training and beyond the physicality of it, what are the lessons you have learned from this sport? LC: Sometimes youre so tired that everything in your head tells you to give up, but you have to keep going. Thats what Tepaea said about our preparations back home we got to go into those dark places on the training field. Otherwise, we wont be able to perform well on the pitch. I think the mental side of the games is probably bigger than the physical aspect. The mental battles that go through your head during a game are something that you work a lot on.

As high-performance players, please give us some advice on how to not be under the pressure of the moment as you try to dare. What can we learn from your experience in the All Blacks? NM: Its to stay mentally present and in the moment, and not think about what has happened and is going to happen. Your sole focus is whats in front of you after. Obviously, have a plan. For us, everything will fall into place if we stick to the plan and nail it. Things will happen, even if its uncontrollable. Its what you can and cant control.

TC: Similarly to what Ngarohi said: nail your preparations, do everything you can and then surrender to the moment. Win or lose, whatever happens, happens.

Photo by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images

This interview took place days prior to the HSBC SVNS Singapore tournament. The New Zealand All Blacks Sevens and Black Ferns Sevens were later crowned tournament champions.

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The New Zealand All Blacks and Black Ferns are #BornToDare - Men's Folio