Fortress Eden Park held again: What the world was like when ABs’ streak began
Saturday, 18 July 2026
Captain Ardie Savea’s mighty All Blacks machine has thumped Ireland 40-21, extending their unbeaten record at Auckland’s Fortress Eden Park to an extraordinary 53 tests in 32 years. The Post’s rugby experts critically evaluate the game, the team and the individual players elsewhere. But it’s worth reflecting on just how extraordinary the All Blacks’ Eden Park legacy really is by recalling how different New Zealand was when the national team, then captained by All Black great Sean Fitzpatrick, last lost at the country’s biggest and most famous stadium, to France back in 1994. Here are 32 facts about New Zealand and the world from 32 years ago
Shortland Street was only two years old and had screened about 550 episodes. Today it has aired well over 8,000.
Christopher Luxon was 23, working as a management trainee for Unilever.
GST was 12.5%.
Once Were Warriors was still playing in cinemas.
The Sky Tower had not yet been built.
Sir William Birch was Minister of Finance, and the Government’s books had just returned to surplus after years of deficits.
Wet Wet Wet’s Love Is All Around was number one on the New Zealand singles chart.
Chris Hipkins was 15 and attending Hutt Valley Memorial College.
Google did not exist.
The Bain family murders had happened only 13 days earlier.
New Zealand’s population was about 3.6 million.
The Official Cash Rate did not exist.
Helen Clark was Leader of the Opposition, five years before becoming Prime Minister.
A fancy cappuccino in Ponsonby cost about $2.50.
New Zealand had never won the America’s Cup.
OJ Simpson’s white Bronco police chase had happened just over two weeks earlier.
CDs were the dominant way New Zealanders bought music, cassette tapes were still common and streaming was science fiction.
Jacinda Ardern was 13, a Year 9 student at Morrinsville College.
The Channel Tunnel between Britain and France had been open for only about eight weeks.
Most New Zealanders had never used the internet.
There were no Kiwi billionaires and the richest New Zealander, Waikato businessman Douglas Goodfellow, was worth just $450 million.
The first MMP general election was still more than two years away.
Cheques were still a normal way to pay bills and transfer money.
Nelson Mandela had been President of South Africa for less than two months.
There were three principal free-to-air television channels: TV One, TV2 and TV3.
Amazon wouldn’t be founded for another two days.
EFTPOS was common, but nobody paid by tapping a phone, watch or contactless card.
New Zealand’s final court of appeal was still the Privy Council in London.
Hong Kong was still a British colony.
The Warriors had not yet played an NRL match. Their inaugural season was still eight months away.
The iPhone was still more than 12 years away.
Nobody alive that afternoon has ever again had to experience the trauma of seeing the All Blacks lose a Test at Eden Park.
The Post stands with Ardie and the ABs as they head to the even bigger challenge of the Greatest Rivalry Tour in South Africa next month.