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All Blacks strip may have US insurance sponsor logo

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All Blacks strip getting a new look?

3News NZ

An artists rendition of how the strip may look (Photosport)

An artists rendition of how the strip may look (Photosport)

By 3 News online staff

As sports becomes more and more commercialised, one of New Zealand’s most important and sacred strips is reportedly on the verge of not being so Kiwi anymore.

It’s being reported that an American insurance company is in negotiations with the New Zealand Rugby Union to have their logo emblazoned on the All Blacks playing strip.

So… envisage the All Black strip, the Silver Fern and something totally unrelated to New Zealand on the black jersey and you’re on the right track.

Jedi Thian, operator of the Alternative Rugby Commentary website, told Radio New Zealand he'd been informed by executives that AIG had signed a deal with the New Zealand Rugby Union to have the logo printed on the shirt sleeve and shorts.

He said he had also been told the AIG logo – sponsor of Manchester United in the Premier League - would also be on the front of the playing jersey.

This was followed up with the NZRU saying to Radio New Zealand that it is in discussions with several potential sponsors. Further details are yet to be revealed.

It would not be the first time that the All Blacks strip has featured advertising – in the mid nineties, Steinlager – a Kiwi company – featured on the jersey.

But with other international teams trending toward shirt sponsor - the Australian Wallabies, South African Springboks and English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh and Italian rugby teams – it seems the All Blacks and a permanent kit sponsor may not be too far away.

Mr Thian has described this as a “fatal error”.

"Even though I have a very wild and vivid imagination, but I am a conservative on the subject of the purity of the All Black strip of the New Zealand rugby team. I feel that the entire uniform should be simply black, with a silver fern on the left breast, the words 'New Zealand All Blacks' don't need to be there because it's obvious that the rugby player wearing this strip is an All Black,” he said via blog.

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Comments

20/07/2012 1:35:18 a.m.

TJ wrote:

Fair enough if it has to be. BUT America? really? Surely Air NZ or any other NZ company would be better :(

6/07/2012 4:16:37 p.m.

Ryan wrote:

On the sleeve, maybe. On the front of the most respected and feared jersey in world rugby? NO WAY!

6/07/2012 12:58:17 p.m.

Licere wrote:

ACC apparently have $3.5 billion in reserves. Why not allow them to be the sponsor?

6/07/2012 12:02:12 p.m.

pete wrote:

We have recently sold off Crafar Farms to the Chinese,last week we sold off our hard earned sheep genetics to the Chinese and now it looks like the All Blacks will be sold off to a American company.If you think that the AB's are our national sporting team think again.The All Blacks are 15 blokes who to the NZRU and the money men,are a promoters dream,we as the public have no say anymore in the history of a team that used to be ours,shame it has to go to such a crass country such as America.

5/07/2012 10:41:48 p.m.

Garth wrote:

Nothing new with this, though it seems people, including the media, have forgotten the "Steinlager" logo that used to grace the All Blacks jersey a few years back.

5/07/2012 9:23:00 p.m.

Larry M wrote:

There is no way the All Blacks should have any shirt sponsors regardless of whether the company is from NZ or not. You would think that NZRU would never allow this. Even with the argument 'this is the reality of moden day professional sport' the All Blacks jersey is seen as iconic and rugby is incorporated as part of NZ culture and identity. In football they do not have shirt sponsors on international shirts (at least in major tournaments), and while clubs started having shirt sponsors in the 1980's to bring in more revenue (and slowly even the most iconic clubs ended up parting tradition in favour of revenue. Despite other international rugby teams having shirt sponsors you would be hard pressed to find a New Zealander who would support having shirt sponsors on the black jersey! PS. AIG sponsored Man. United between 2006-2010 but not anymore (as above article suggests they still sponsor Man U).

5/07/2012 4:28:03 p.m.

Laurence Hill wrote:

Oh come on that's rubbish football doesn't have sponsors fouling up the international jersey's how greedy are these people that they can't be happy with domestic team sponsorship it is an absolute joke being an international rugby player seems to mean less and less these days this will just drag down the pride of playing for your country what and absolute disgrace that commercialism has crept onto the international scene, the training gear I can half understand but the actually jersey? Go away, no respect!

5/07/2012 3:25:25 p.m.

Bill wrote:

C'mon, they have had a sponsor on their kit since being with Addidas, their logo is even larger than the Silver Fern. I am sick of hearing how the kit should stay pure, they can't afford not to have other sponsors showing anymore.That's the reality of modern Professional Sport.

5/07/2012 3:07:36 p.m.

Erm... wrote:

@Quasimodo - yes, there is an alternative. You could pay full market price. So probably $250 for an AB ticket or the same to watch an AB game on Sky. It's a necessary evil, although in this case AIG customers will be doing the subsidising.

5/07/2012 12:53:58 p.m.

Quasimodo wrote:

Is there no escape to be had from infernal bloody advertising?