Joe Porter

The New Zealand Defence Force rugby team is taking on cult status as it travels through Japan, often mistaken for the Rugby World Cup holders the All Blacks.

When Samoa take the field tonight for their 2019 Rugby World Cup opener against Russia, they will have an ardent local supporter waving her Samoan flag in the stands.

Steve Hansen and the All Blacks have won a vote of confidence from a group of fans from the Asian country with the oldest rugby union - Sri Lanka.

It's not just rugby players that fans are queuing up for photos with at the World Cup in Japan.

All Blacks fans will have a brilliant time outside of the stadiums at this year's World Cup, but there could be more than a few fans frustrated on game day, according to Joe Porter.

This year's Rugby World Cup should be the most fiercely fought yet, with half a dozen teams a genuine chance of usurping the All Blacks from their throne.

The All Blacks fly to Japan this morning for the Rugby World Cup. Are they on track for an unprecedented third straight title?

Born and raised in Manutuke in rural Gisborne, George Bridge didn't look destined to be an All Black, before a phone call when he was 17 set him on the road that's now taking him to the World Cup in… Audio

Sports Call - Liam Squire can be expected to be named in the All Blacks squad. Rugby reporter Joe Porter envisions that it all came to Steve Hansen in a dream...

Black Fern Aleisha-Pearl Nelson shouldn't be playing rugby, at least that's what the doctors said, though the Auckland prop has beaten the odds twice to achieve her ultimate dream. Audio

Dual rugby and league international, now Black Ferns hooker, Te Kura Ngata-Aerengamate is forging her own path in the black jersey and is helping to blaze a trail for rugby loving girls in Northland. Video, Audio

Analysis - RNZ rugby reporter Joe Porter looks at who the biggest winners and losers are from the latest All Blacks cull and what it means for the world cup.

The All Blacks host South Africa in a sold out test in Wellington tomorrow night and all eyes will be on whether the Springboks can conjure up another boil-over in the capital.

Analysis - The Crusaders have the chance to create a dynasty that's never been matched in Super Rugby, writes Joe Porter.

A Crusaders Super Rugby three-peat looms, but how much will a win mean to a region and city recovering from earthquakes and the Christchurch terror attacks, writes Joe Porter. Audio

Sports Call - Don't expect many bolters or shock selections, Steve Hansen's first All Black squad for a World Cup year will be typically conservative, writes Joe Porter.

The semi-finals have arrived in Super Rugby and the big question is, can anyone stop a Crusaders three peat?

Japan is becoming a leading destination for New Zealand rugby players heading offshore, but is it a rugby pro's paradise or a field of disappointment?

Sports Call - The connection between New Zealand and Japanese rugby is growing all the time, with partnerships popping up all over the place, writes RNZ's Joe Porter.

While Japan might not be famous for its love of the oval ball, its connection with rugby dates back further than New Zealand's.

Former All Black Jamie Joseph is tasked with getting Japan to the knockout stages of a rugby World Cup for the first time.

Japan rugby coach Jamie Joseph says his side aren't ready to be involved in something as big as the proposed World League.

Japan, hosts of this year's rugby World Cup, appear set to be kneecapped by their own union in their lofty bid to bring a million new players into the game in the land of the rising sun.

Jandals and bare feet are still the choice of footwear and New Zealand's summer is in full swing, but yes, Super Rugby is about to kick off.

Fear and a desire to protect the status quo can get in the way of progression in women's sport, according to New Year's honours recipient Barbara Kendall.