What factors make New Zealand the most dominant rugby nation in the world?

The reason for the All Blacks dominance of world rugby is one that continues perplexing their rivals. Australia's population of 23 million is over four times that of New Zealand (4.5 million). South Africa's is even larger - 53 million. Having a much smaller pool of potential players at their disposable is clearly not a factor. Biology is also unlikely, as it is unclear why one particular group of Pacific Islanders would continually trounce their opponents. It anything, the key to the All Black's superiority is more likely to be cultural or social.

Sporting prowess can be linked to the level of esteem in which particular events are held. An obvious example would be Jamaica, an island of under three million inhabitants, whose athletes consistently claim Olympic golds. On their home turf, athletics events are held in high honour, generating huge crowds, even at high school level. The same can be said for the great footballing nations in South America, typified by Argentina and Brazil, where kicking footballs around is a pastime seizing the imagination from an early age. In New Zealand, fanaticism is channelled towards rugby union.

The extent of this devotion to rugby is apparent when you consider the intense levels of interest among the population whenever the All Blacks are playing. Entire TV channels are devoted to the sport, and the popularity of the national team extends to many other mediums. A positive rugby culture is reinforced by continual success on the pitch. Having set a high bar, the whole country is behind seeing their 15 heroes striving to repeat this consistency of victories.

The southern hemisphere has many other strong rugby cultures, from Australia and South Africa to Samoa. This guarantees a high level of competition. New Zealand also has a longstanding reputation of absorbing other Pacific Islanders, reinforcing cultural ties, maintaining the strong rugby spirit. The bad news for their rivals is that the All Blacks' guard their dominance jealously, reinforcing it with the strength of their rugby culture. The haka will prevail on international arenas for the foreseeable future!