NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather forecasts

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
    • The Great NZ Road Trip
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
    • Cooking the Books
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • What the Actual
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport

Rugby: All Blacks rub shoulders with Spanish royalty in receiving Princess of Asturias Award

NZ Herald
21 Oct, 2017 06:04 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

All Blacks Keven Mealamu, Israel Dagg and Conrad Smith perform a haka on stage at the Princess of Asturias awards in Spain. Photo / Supplied

All Blacks Keven Mealamu, Israel Dagg and Conrad Smith perform a haka on stage at the Princess of Asturias awards in Spain. Photo / Supplied

Israel Dagg says he was "blown away" by the experience of rubbing shoulders with Spanish royalty at the prestigious Princess of Asturias Awards.

The All Blacks won the 2017 edition of Spain's prestigious Princess of Asturias Award for Sport, one of the most eminent distinctions in the Spanish-speaking world.

Dagg was part of the delegation which included Jordie Barrett, Conrad Smith and Keven Mealamu who went to Oviedo to receive the award.

"I had to kick myself," Dagg told Tony Veitch on Newstalk ZB.

"Me and Jordie Barrett were actually sitting in the room before and just having a little giggle. How did these two hories from New Zealand just come over here and rub shoulders with the king and queen of Spain."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The annual prizes are awarded to individuals and organisations from around the world who make notable achievements in the sciences, humanities, and public affairs.

The jury highlighted the All Blacks' "extraordinary sporting achievements over the years," and their commitment to "such noble values as solidarity and sportsmanship".

"The New Zealand team is the most successful national team in rugby union history," it said in a statement released when the All Blacks were announced as winners of the prize earlier this year.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
All Blacks perform Haka during the Princess if Asturias Award ...

WATCH | The All Blacks were honoured today when they received the prestigious Princess of Asturias Award for Sport in Spain. All Blacks Israel Dagg and Jordie Barrett were joined by All Black veterans Keven Mealamu and Conrad Smith performing the Haka during the ceremony. Find out more about this great award here: http://bit.ly/2qZjisF Credit: http://www.fpa.es #TeamAllBlacks

Posted by All Blacks on Friday, 20 October 2017

Dagg said he couldn't believe the support they received and how many people love the All Blacks.

"It's amazing being over here and seeing that they follow the All Blacks and it's crazy to see. It's mindblowing to be from a little old country in New Zealand and people love the team."

Apart from hanging out with Spanish royalty, Dagg said he also met all kinds of amazing people from Nobel Prize winners to scientists and physicians.

"I'm trying to not sound like this little hori boy from Hawkes Bay," said Dagg.

Discover more

All Blacks

Why the Wallabies need to beat the ABs

20 Oct 04:00 PM
Sport|rugby

Why is Gatland playing the victim card?

20 Oct 10:21 PM
All Blacks

All Blacks: What next for Wayne Smith?

20 Oct 11:58 PM
All Blacks

Gifted newbies in running for tour

21 Oct 04:00 PM

"I'm trying to actually make them think that I know what I'm talking about and make them think that I understand what they're saying. I'm blown away. They're absolutely awesome people."

Dagg said they decided to perform the haka on stage after receiving the prize at the last minute.

"We just got up there and we did the haka and it just went silent and then people cheered. We've still got people coming up to us now and doing it.

"I'm very humbled and very grateful for the opportunity ... This is a 120 years of All Blacks rugby that I'm representing."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Sport

English Premier League

Palace stun Man City to win FA Cup for first time

17 May 07:03 PM
Auckland FC

Auckland FC beat Melbourne Victory in first leg of semifinal

17 May 05:00 PM
Racing

International rider wins again as he makes his mark in Central Districts

17 May 05:00 PM

The Hire A Hubby hero turning handyman stereotypes on their head

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Sport

Palace stun Man City to win FA Cup for first time

Palace stun Man City to win FA Cup for first time

17 May 07:03 PM

Eberechi Eze scored the winning goal with a superb volley in the 16th minute.

Auckland FC beat Melbourne Victory in first leg of semifinal

Auckland FC beat Melbourne Victory in first leg of semifinal

17 May 05:00 PM
International rider wins again as he makes his mark in Central Districts

International rider wins again as he makes his mark in Central Districts

17 May 05:00 PM
'Tough one to swallow': Lawson robbed by red flag, qualifies 16th in Imola

'Tough one to swallow': Lawson robbed by red flag, qualifies 16th in Imola

17 May 03:36 PM
Gold demand soars amid global turmoil
sponsored

Gold demand soars amid global turmoil

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP