The All Blacks have shown off the jersey they’ll be defending their World Cup title in, and surprise, surprise – it’s all black.
The white collar that was brought back last year is also gone, with the jersey looking more like a tight fitting t-shirt. There’s no AIG on the front, as per tournament regulations.
All Black captain Kieran Read was happy with the new look, declaring that the jersey was ‘especially cool’.
"We're all really excited ahead of the Rugby World Cup in Japan. It's always special pulling on the All Blacks jersey, and to wear one that has used our culture to inspire the design will be especially cool.” he said at the launch in Auckland today.
The jersey was designed by Y-3, the collaboration label between adidas and Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto.
Yamamoto said: "We wanted to create a jersey that brought together the Japanese and Maori cultures. The design bears hand-drawn koru and fern motifs in a celebration of Māori culture. It has been a privilege to work on such a major project and I wish the team the best of luck in the tournament."
New Zealand Rugby's Kaihautu (Maori Advisor) Luke Crawford, who gave adidas advice on Maori design, said: "The fern design represents the legacy of those players who have worn the jersey in the past, while the unfurling koru represents the younger players coming through - the All Blacks of the future. I think Y-3 have really captured the mauri (essence) of what the All Blacks jersey stands for and how it represents us, and created a truly beautiful garment."
The All Black squad for the upcoming Rugby Championship tournament is named tomorrow night.