Maori All Blacks Confirm South American Tour
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The Maori All Blacks will play their first ever matches against Chile and Brazil in November, as a tour to South America was confirmed by New Zealand Rugby today.
New Zealand Rugby Maori Board chair Dr Farah Palmer confirmed the matches would round out the Maori All Blacks end of year tour schedule which kicks off in Chicago.
The Maori All Blacks will kick off their tour as the finale match against the USA Eagles men in a historic triple header with the Black Ferns playing the USA Eagles women and Ireland playing Italy.
Just as the South American tour was announced, the Maori All Blacks have also confirmed their coaching group for 2018 with Roger Randle and Joe Maddock appointed as Assistant Coaches.
It’s not the first time the three coaches have worked together, as they led the New Zealand Provincial Barbarians against the British & Irish Lions in 2017.
Randle and Maddock both currently coach Mitre 10 Cup, with Randle the Assistant for Waikato, and Maddock the Head Coach at Canterbury.
Randle, a two-time Commonwealth Games Gold medallist with the All Blacks Sevens, played two matches for the All Blacks and seven seasons with the Maori All Blacks. Currently coaching in Waikato, Randle was involved with the Japan Sevens team for their 2016 Olympic campaign and coached the All Blacks Sevens in Hong Kong earlier this year.
Maddock has been coaching in Canterbury for the past four years, having previously played 30 matches for the province and 16 matches for the Crusaders. In eight matches for the Maori All Blacks, Maddock scored eight tries before heading to Europe where he played for ten years.
Maori All Blacks jersey:
Maori All Blacks 2018 schedule:
Chicago, USA
Saturday 3 November
V USA Eagles (with Black Ferns v USA Eagles women)
Sao Paolo, Brazil
Saturday 10 November
V Brazil
Santiago, Chile
Saturday 17 November
V Chile