Kiwi Super Rugby coaches gathered today for a bit of backyard cricket banter while unveiling their 2020 squads
The fallout to Green MP Chloe Swarbrick's casual use of 'Ok Boomer' in parliament has been billed by some as a generational "war" between Baby Boomers and Millennials.
But the real and definitely more important "war", for the All Blacks at least, is between the Millennial veterans in the team versus the hungry, up-and-coming Generation Z. (According to Forbes, Generation Z is "composed of those born between 1995 and 2010".)
In fact, it was Gen Z who started the whole 'Ok Boomer' thing in the first place. And they probably moved on from the meme as soon as old people started using it – plus they're too busy dominating NZ rugby.
As the Millennials in the All Blacks start to reach the twilight of their careers, and with several of the team's elders moving on after the World Cup, 2020 could be the year the next generation of All Blacks start to take over.
A generational breakdown of what the All Blacks could look like next year – comprised of All Blacks who featured this year, injured/sidelined All Blacks, and potential bolters who have impressed in Mitre 10 Cup and Super Rugby – shows a team that skews towards younger Millennials and Gen Z.
The average age of the players in the list is only 25.6 (just one year above the Gen Z cut off). The average age of the backs included in the list is even younger at 24.5 (officially Gen Z).
The list features players almost exclusively in their 20s, with Dane Coles (32), probable future captain Sam Whitelock (31), Joe Moody (31), and Aaron Smith (30) the only players in their 30s.
