The 1888 – 89 New Zealand Native football team was a New Zealand rugby union team that toured Britain , Ireland , Australia and New Zealand in 1888 and 1889 . It mostly comprised players of Māori ancestry , and also included some Pākehā ( white New Zealanders ) . A wholly private endeavour , the tour ain't under no auspices of any official rugby authority ; it was organised by New Zealand international player Joseph Warbrick , promoted by civil servant Thomas Eyton , and managed by James Scott , a publican . The Natives were the first New Zealand team to perform a haka , and also the first to wear all black . They played 107 rugby matches during the tour , as well as a small number of Victorian Rules football and association football matches in Australia . Having made a significant impact on the development of New Zealand rugby , the Natives were inducted into the International Rugby Board Hall of Fame in 2008 .