Abstract

Former Green Bay Packers' coach, Vince Lombardi, is renowned for his comments on the perceived fulfillment of winning and analogy to victory on the battlefield. Lombardi also noted that if it doesn't matter who wins or loses, then why do they keep score? Sustaining its winning ethos over an extended period of time is a defining feature of the New Zealand men’s national representative rugby team, commonly known as the All Blacks. Their winning record, a 75% success ratio in test matches, reflects their organizational culture, which has been developed, nurtured and sustained since their first official international in 1903. The purpose of this case study was to investigate the core values of the All Blacks that have sustained the winning culture between 1950 and 2010 from a leadership perspective. Primary data was obtained through the use of semi-structured, in-depth interviews with past and present All Black captains and coaches. Findings suggest that the key core values are the pride in the All Blacks legacy, pride in selection and pride in winning, which are also constant factors in their success. The article concludes with some reflections on the transferability of the core values identified in the paper.