The team's flight NZ1 arrived shortly after 7 in the morning local time, with the event televised live on several channels in the rugby-mad nation.

The All Blacks defeated Australia 34-17 at Australia at Twickenham on Saturday to become the first nation to secure back-to-back tournaments.

Inside the airport, about 4,000 black-clad supporters, some of whom had camped out overnight for a glimpse of their heroes, packed the arrivals hall to greet them.

Skipper Richie McCaw, clutching the William Webb Ellis trophy, emerged first, thanking the fans and saying the team had appreciated the entire country's backing during the tournament.

'The support's been amazing, so to bring this back is pretty awesome,' McCaw said.

(Pics and excerpts from Daily Mail)