Tackling Rugby Myths: Rugby and New Zealand Society 1854-2004
The All Blacks' 'failure' to win the 2003 Rugby World Cup led many devotees to question old certainties and the current direction of the 'national game' in the age of professionalism. Central to these debates has been a sense that the continuity and invincibility of New Zealand rugby has been somehow eroded, mirroring similar changes within society as a whole.