Does Rugby have a Superstar?

[Catogrande]

@nostrildamus Not his underwear modelling then?

[Bones]

I fucking said Tupou like last year man in this thread man.

[kiwiinmelb]

@mariner4life said in Does Rugby have a Superstar?:

Oh to be so good looking that Dan is seen as normal

Met a pommy bird in a bar about 13 years ago in thailand and when she found out im from nz she went on to tell me a story,

A girl at her work used to brag she is good friends with an All Black and would introduce her , she was all excited visualising a Dan Carter type,

When she got to meet him she was a bit disappointed and underwhelmed,

I asked do you know his name ? she said Anton Oliver

[Rancid Schnitzel]

Guys like TT can certainly become cult figures and very recognisable but superstars? I just can't see him being the face of anything other than maybe KFC or MacDonalds.

[Chris B.]

This post is deleted!

[Chris B.]

Out of interest and aside from rugby - has New Zealand ever had a sporting superstar? Someone who couldn't walk down the street in multiple countries.

I see Israel Adesanya is by far the most popular on social media - ahead of Little Kane - who probably can't walk down the street in India.

Sir Ed is probably the most famous ever in terms of name recognition, but most people outside NZ probably wouldn't have recognized him. I guess he was probably massive in 1953.

[taniwharugby]

@Chris-B at Tigers peak, Steve Williams was probably up there as one of the more recognizable 'sportsman'.

[scribe]

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Christchurch’s own, Ben Stokes.

[Duluth]

@Chris-B said in Does Rugby have a Superstar?:

I see Israel Adesanya is by far the most popular on social media - ahead of Little Kane - who probably can't walk down the street in India.

Google trends is another way of judging that too

Adesanya in blue, Kane in red, worldwide searches in the last 5 years

Or by region who has more searches

I suspect no NZ sportsman would come close

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The All Blacks as a team beat him

[Bovidae]

How does Steven Adams compare?

[Duluth]

@Bovidae

Well beaten again and losses every region

KW v Adams is a slight edge to Kane

[MN5]

David Tua fought one of the absolute GOATs in Lennox Lewis. Admittedly before the days of widespread social media though.

He was pretty well known at his peak.

[Chris B.]

@Duluth I suspect Adesanya has everyone in NZ covered - not just sportsmen.

I've tried a few of the most famous NZers I can think of - and he's well ahead.

He gets beaten by someone like Taylor Swift, but he's competitive - or at least, not completely dwarfed!

[Dan54]

@Bovidae said in Does Rugby have a Superstar?:

How does Steven Adams compare?

I imagine fairly well Bov, he is probably pretty well known, but just wonder if he is outside basketball circles?

[Wurzel]

Forgetting globally, I wonder who's the biggest rugby star in NZ? And would they have stronger recognition than Shaun Johnson, or even DWZ, currently?

[KiwiMurph]

@Wurzel i'd say Ardie Savea and yes

[Bones]

@Wurzel said in Does Rugby have a Superstar?:

DWZ

Who

[mariner4life]

@Bones said in Does Rugby have a Superstar?:

@Wurzel said in Does Rugby have a Superstar?:

DWZ

Who

[Bovidae]

From ER to the NRL. What a talent!

[Bones]

@mariner4life Carribbean queen is top notch.