Kiwi filmmaker Taika Waititi said the All Blacks got him through high school, and the team's mental endurance on and off the pitch is a feat he aspired to.
The first episode of Waititi's Tour De Rugby aired last week on NZR+, a series following him as he explored France, learned about French rugby and met up with rugby legends like Jerome Kaino ahead of the World Cup.
He sat down with 1News to chat about his series and assert his lifelong affection for the boys in black.
"I love the All Blacks, it's my favourite team, I love rugby," he began. "My passion for rugby is probably the thing that got me through high school, and there's still that little kid in me who gets excited whenever there's a game."
His favourite things about the sport are its common themes of comradery and how "inclusive" it is for all shapes and sizes.
"The idea of being a team, being a group and having good friends [got me through high school].
"[With] rugby, which is different to a lot of sports, there's a role for everyone ... if you're short and fast there's a role for you, or if you're big and a little slower ... I've always found that rugby brings people together."
Every All Blacks moment is a highlight for Waititi, but the mental souvenirs that first come to mind were John Kirwin's length-of-the-field try against Italy in 1987, and the 2011 World Cup final win against France at Eden Park.
"There are some other memorable moments I would rather forget, but yeah, for me it's the fact that we won [in 2011] and also the fact that New Zealand got celebrate and share in that victory."
His career is quite different to those of professional athletes, but much like the All Blacks - especially after losing recent games, including the World Cup opener - Waititi said he is susceptible to "couch coaches", public scrutiny and tall poppy syndrome.
"New Zealand is notorious for that, y'know? Tall poppy syndrome, people judging you, everyone wants to see you fail. They're always like 'oh yeah congratulations, oh yeah we love Taika, [then] oh I knew you'd fail'.
"They love doing that, especially with sport and especially with the All Blacks. They're probably under the most pressure of all Kiwis."
Compared to his work, he knows the pressure is different when a rugby game is drawing to a close and admires the fortitude of his favourite team.
"They [have to] incur the wrath of the judgemental New Zealand public, but ... I've talked to them, they've got their systems of how to deal with that pressure on the field, especially in those last minutes of a game when it really counts.
"I don't think I could give them any advice at all, because they seem to be doing it really well.
The first episode of Tour De Rugby is currently available to stream on NZR+.
Watch Taika Waititi talk about tall poppy syndrome and dealing with stress in the video above.
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