A raucous crowd in Auckland welcomed home the victorious All Blacks under a spring sun yesterday, and none was as happy as Ruatoria fan Kuratiwaka Ngarimu.
The team that became the first in the world to win back-to-back Rugby World Cups spent half an hour signing autographs, taking photos with fans and shaking hands in Victoria Park.
A crowd of about 25,000 people turned out.
Students from Auckland Grammar, Auckland Girls' Grammar and Mt Albert Grammar performed a moving haka for the team, and Sol3 Mio performed official All Blacks song I See Fire.
Kuratiwaka's mum Vanessa Ngarimu posted a video of him giving a shout out to his favourite player Nehe Milner-Skudder ahead of the team playing in the final last weekend.