All Whites '82

They captured the attention of the nation. As rugby—battered and bruised following the fallout of the 1981 Springbok tour—struggled to regain its hold on New Zealand, John Adsgead’s All Whites began one of the great stories of New Zealand sport. His unlikely band of brothers set out on the ‘impossible dream’ as they attempted to qualify for the 1982 World Cup in Spain. A World Cup record 14 games later the team travelled to Singapore for their David and Goliath play-off against China. The game was won and the dream became a reality. January 2007 will mark the 25th anniversary of that famous win against China—a victory that would see the All Whites qualify for the World Cup for the first time. But despite the on-going interest in the team, the true behind-the-scenes story of the ‘Impossible Dream’ has yet to be told. Sam Malcolmson wants to tell that story, he will use his access to his former team-mates to retell the story of the Adshead’s All Whites. It will be the good, the bad and the humourous.