'All Blacks' Football Song' sheet music

This song was written for the momentous Springbok Rugby Tour of New Zealand in 1956. It was played by the Woolston Brass Band before the Third Test.

One of the biggest events of the 1950s was the 1956 Springbok tour to New Zealand, and most of the country was gripped by 'rugby fever'. Prior to 1956, there was a 35-year history of defeat and controversy in rugby between South Africa and New Zealand. The All Blacks were driven in their quest to avenge their most disastrous loss (back in 1949), and won the series 3-1 in a gripping final test. Lasting three months, almost a third of the population watched the games.

For most of the 20th century, there was intense rivalry between the Springboks and the All Blacks. Playing the Springboks was considered the pinnacle of many New Zealand rugby players' careers. And beating the Springboks was a source of great national pride for much of the twentieth century. When the All Blacks beat the Springboks in 1956, it was as if New Zealand had won a war.