Bullrush
John Hipwell (52)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_New_Zealand_Sevens_Representatives
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Māori_All_Blacks#Notable_former_players
Yeah hardly any All Blacks in there at all!
Please just stop because you're completely fucking wrong.
Yeah......it's obvious that your knowledge of NZ rugby comes completely from wikipedia.
Go thru those lists and see how many became All Blacks straight from 7's. Very few if any. When AB selectors are looking for players, they look at Super Rugby form - not 7's. Otherwise DJ Forbes, Tomasi Cama, Amasio Valance and Karl Te Nana would have been All Black legends. Jono Gibbes, Deon Muir, Rua Tipoki as well. A lot of the great names in both these teams never get a crack at the AB no matter how good they play for those teams and many 7's players fight just for Super Rugby contracts.
Having actually lived in NZ most of my life and knowing a few representative players over the years, 7's and the Maori All Blacks are not seen as pathways to the All Blacks. Yes, Maori and 7's players may ALSO be All Blacks but sometimes, players represent the All Blacks before representing in one of those teams.
Calling these teams 'feeder teams' to the All Blacks is like calling Kelston Boys and MAGS feeder teams to the ABs.
But yeah.....wikipedia can't possibly be wrong......