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New Zealand's first touring rugby team to Britain was inducted into the International Rugby Union's Hall of Fame yesterday.
Nearly two decades before the 1905 Originals became part of the country's folklore, New Zealand Natives did a mammoth 14-month, 107-match tour from 1888-89, beating Ireland but losing to England and Wales.
Their legacy includes the all black uniform, silver fern and introducing haka to international rugby.
Former New Zealand Maori coach Matt Te Pou said that in terms of Maori rugby the team's strike rate - winning 78 of 107 matches - was unsurpassed until his era.
In 1998, his team played in Hawick, Scotland, where 100 years before the Natives had toured. He said the conditions they faced were almost unimaginable now.
"After the game we were at the clubrooms and they have this tokotoko [carved walking stick] from that tour.
"There were stories of the team sleeping rough in barns at the time. Anyway, at this one particular game it was so cold at half-time the boys put on their overcoats and played in those. When we were there it was freezing, so you could believe it.
"The thing was, they still won."
As the drudgery of injuries and surviving the tour wore on - players had bouts of flu and pneumonia - the haka was introduced to inspire the players, Mr Te Pou said.
Joe Warbrick (Ngati Rangitihi), who at 15 represented Auckland as a barefoot kicker, played, coached and managed the New Zealand Natives.
Retired teacher Moira Potae is one of Mr Warbrick's grandchildren. She and her two sisters were delighted to learn that their grandfather, four of their uncles - William, Frederick, Arthur and Alfred Warbrick - and the other Natives players were being recognised for their efforts.
Mr Warbrick died in an accident at Waimangu Geyser when Mrs Potae's mother, Orini, an only child, was a few months old.
Since the 1970s, Mrs Potae has been trying to piece together the family history.
"The three of us [grandchildren] are crazy on rugby; we eat, drink and sleep it.
"We're absolutely so proud. He certainly left some values for our game. And those values - excellence - they've been followed through, I would suggest."
Dr Greg Ryan, who wrote a book on the team, said their efforts hadn't been properly recognised by the New Zealand Rugby Union because it was formed after the tour.
"They really introduce a lot more running rugby that sort of becomes the Maori style later on.
"British teams quite often would play with nine or 10 forwards and you kind of rumbled the ball upfield.
"The Maori team surprised everyone with eight forwards and seven backs and a lot of the time they tried to run it - it's a much more open game."
