Classic All Blacks vs French Classics

Revel in the passion, the flair and the inevitable blood, sweat and tears as Classic All Blacks take on the French Classics in the Otago town of Queenstown.

It’s always an epic battle on the rugby field between New Zealand and France and this match is shaping up to be no different. Locals and travelling rugby fans from all nations are expected to converge on the Otago town of Queenstown for this great day out.

There will be three games held throughout the day, starting at 11am with the Wakatipu Under 18 team playing The Grange School from Chile. At 1pm, Wakatipu Basin will take on Maniatoto, and at 3pm. the Classic All Blacks feature game will kick off.

The Classics team comprises former All Blacks, many still playing overseas, who are no longer contracted to New Zealand rugby.

The big names in the Classic All Blacks side include Christian Cullen — widely regarded by his countrymen as being one of the best All Black fullbacks of all time, Andrew Mehrtens — one of the top first five-eighths in the world since the advent of the sport's professional era in the mid-1990s and Jeff Wilson — a New Zealand dual international representative in rugby and cricket. With 44 tries in 60 tests, Wilson is currently the 8th-highest try scorer in Rugby Union history.

The French Classics team lineup features Serge Betsen, a remorseless tackler nicknamed ‘Le Sécateur’, formidable lock David Auradou, and centre Franck Comba and hooker Marc de Rougemont (known as Le Rouge or ‘The Red’) who both notched up 13 caps for France.

Full Classic All Blacks squad:

Christian Cullen, Glen Osborne, Jeff Wilson, Karl Te Nana, Tony Marsh, Keith Lowen, Charlie Hore, Andrew Mehrtens, Jason Spice, Rhys Duggan, Scott Robertson, Gus Collins, Dion Muir, Reuben Thorne, Kees Meeuws, Kelvin Middleton, Matt Sexton, Olo Brown, Charlie Reichmann, Simon Maling, Jay Williams, Dustin Watts, Adam Parker.

Full French Classics squad:
Abderrahmane Agueb, David Auradou, Serge Betsen, Pascal Bomati, David Bory, Frédéric Caillat, Franck Cather, Franck Comba, Gilles Darlet, Marc De Rougemont, Saïd Filali, Romain Froment, Philippe Gordo, Jean Philippe Lacoste, Patrick Ladouce, Eric Lecomte, Emmanuel Menieu, Gérald Orsoni, Yannick Saladle, Régis Saunier, Willy Taofifenua, Rémy Vigneaux.

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The New Zealand Rugby Union has launched the New Zealand Rugby Passport to encourage international visitors and Kiwis to explore rugby clubs throughout New Zealand.

Local rugby clubs are at the heart of grassroots rugby and provide authentic Kiwi hospitality for visitors, unique and interesting memorabilia and some great characters. By collecting stamps at rugby clubs all around New Zealand, the stylish passport will provide rugby fans with fantastic memento of their travels around New Zealand during Rugby World Cup 2011.  

More information about the events on offer can be found on www.nzrugbypassport.co.nz

Copies of the passport can be picked up from participating clubs and i-Sites throughout New Zealand.

Download the list of participating clubs (32kb PDF) 

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