Tonight was the first test match between the Lions rugby team and the All Blacks. It was held at Eden Park in Auckland and was won by the All Blacks, 30 to 15. There will be two other test matches between the Lions and the All Blacks – July 1st in Wellington and July 8th in Auckland again.
A test match is a game between the teams of two different countries. The Lions team is British has players from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The All Blacks is New Zealand’s national rugby team. More than 40,000 fans attended the game at Eden Park tonight.
The Lions team’s first match was on June 3rd in Whangarei against a New Zealand team of invited players. In total, the Lions will play 10 matches before leaving New Zealand in early July. The final match will be the third test match in Auckland on July 8th.
Only 2 games have been played in the South Island, one in Dunedin where 30,000 fans attended and the other one in Christchurch’s temporary stadium which is much smaller. The earthquakes in Christchurch in 2010 and 2011 damaged the old stadium and a decision has not yet been made about a permanent replacement.
If you watch the games on TV, look out for the Lions players in red jerseys, white shorts and blue socks. The All Blacks, of course, wear black. Local teams wear their own colours.