All Blacks: towering locks, family legacies and record runs at Eden Park among little-known milestones

New Zealand’s All Blacks have long been synonymous with success, but a look beyond the trophies and the haka reveals a series of striking records – from extraordinary family stories to unprecedented dominance at Eden Park – that even seasoned followers may not know.

At the imposing end of the spectrum, Dominic Bird stands alone as the tallest All Black to take the field. The lock, capped in the professional era, measures 2.06m (6ft 9in), edging out current second row Fabian Holland at 2.04m and fellow lock Sam Darry at 2.03m.

The All Blacks’ history is also rich with family connections. To date, 21 father-and-son combinations have worn the famous black jersey. The most recent pair are Todd and Ethan Blackadder. Todd led New Zealand in 12 Tests between 1998 and 2000, while Ethan followed in his footsteps with a debut against Tonga in 2021. Another notable duo is Eroni and Caleb Clarke. Eroni played 24 Tests from 1992 to 1998; his son Caleb first appeared for the All Blacks against Australia in 2020.

Extreme physiques at both ends of the scale

In terms of sheer mass, prop Pasilio Tosi holds the distinction of being the heaviest All Black. He weighed around 140kg when he made his Test debut against Fiji in July 2024, surpassing former prop Neemia Tialata, who was listed at 136kg during his international career.

The other end of the physical spectrum belongs to Alan “Ponty” Reid, recognised as the shortest All Black. The scrum-half stood at roughly 1.60m (5ft 3in) and played seven matches for New Zealand between 1929 and 1930, four of them Tests.

Reid also features in another notable category. He, along with Merv Corner and Harry Nicholls, shares the record as the lightest player to represent New Zealand, each weighing about 58.9kg. All three turned out for the All Blacks in the amateur era, when international rugby physiques bore little resemblance to those seen in the modern professional game.

Age, origins and global reach

Longevity has its own place in All Blacks folklore. Ned Hughes became the oldest player to appear in a Test for New Zealand when he faced South Africa in 1921 at the age of 40 years and 123 days. His selection was remarkable not only for his age but also because it came after a gap of more than six years since his previous international appearance.

The All Blacks’ story is increasingly international as well as intergenerational. Players have been born in 15 countries outside New Zealand, a list that includes Australia, England, Fiji, South Africa, Samoa, Tonga, Japan and Germany.

Recent years have added new chapters to that global footprint. In 2025, Fabian Holland became the first Dutch-born player to be capped by New Zealand. A year later, in July 2026, Anton Segner made his Test debut against Italy in Wellington, becoming the first German-born All Black.

Record wins and scoring feats

New Zealand’s record-breaking 145-17 victory over Japan at the 1995 Rugby World Cup remains the highest team score in the tournament’s history. That match also produced two individual landmarks that still stand. Marc Ellis scored six tries, a Rugby World Cup record for a single game, while fly-half Simon Culhane amassed 45 points on his Test debut.

Try-scoring milestones continue in the current era. Will Jordan became the first All Black to reach 50 Test tries when he scored a hat-trick against Italy in July 2026, moving past Doug Howlett’s previous national record of 49. Jordan then increased his tally to 51 a week later against Ireland at Eden Park. The scale of the achievement is amplified by the pace at which he reached it: he needed only 57 Tests to hit the half-century mark.

Eden Park fortress without parallel

Perhaps the most formidable statistic of all concerns New Zealand’s long-standing hold over Eden Park. The All Blacks have gone 53 consecutive Tests without defeat at the Auckland venue, the longest unbeaten run at a single ground in international rugby history.

That sequence dates back to a draw against South Africa in 1994 and has now stretched across more than three decades, underlining why Eden Park is regarded as one of the sport’s most intimidating arenas for visiting teams.