Wellington: Over the past decade New Zealand's capital city Wellington - sometimes referred to as 'Wellywood' - has risen to become a film production and screen technology hot spot with the Lord of the Rings Trilogy being made here. The Director Sir Peter Jackson is one of New Zealand's best-known film-makers - he was knighted for his significant contribution to the Kiwi film industry in 2010.
Polynesian All Blacks: The racial diversity within the All Blacks is a major strength of the team. Players of European descent combine with athletes of Polynesian heritage - predominantly Samoan, Tongan & Fijian. Most of these players were born and educated in New Zealand, although some were born in the Pacific Islands and moved to New Zealand as youngsters. Polynesian athletes are usually big, strong and fast, ideally suited to the requirements of Rugby.
Different Rugby codes: There are 2 different versions of Rugby - one called Rugby League and the other more popular Rugby Union, which the All Blacks play. Rugby Union is played with 15 players on the field, while Rugby League has 13 players, and although similar sports, there are several differences in the rules. When people refer simply to 'Rugby', they are talking about Rugby Union.
Wellington's Weather: Wellington takes the title as the World's Windiest City, with an average wind speed of 27 kph (17 mph), more than double that of America's 'Windy City' - Chicago. Each year the city experiences an average of 173 days with winds in excess of 59 kph (37 mph). Flights into Wellington's International Airport can be pretty nerve-wracking, as is goal-kicking in a high pressure Rugby Test match when the winds are up.
The Cake Tin: Wellington's Westpac Stadium is colloquially known as the 'Cake Tin' by New Zealanders. This is due to its appearance from the outside and aerially. The stadium has a seated capacity of 38,000 people and his located close to the CBD of Wellington.