We want our All Black jersey back!

Fairfax Media

BACKING BLACK: Welsh club the Dragons are on the hunt for All Black talent, with key officials in New Zealand looking to lure a big-name signing north.

Relevant offers

Have you heard about the latest All Blacks promotional campaign? Richie McCaw's chest hair is being harvested and woven into a special limited edition of All Black caps, and Daniel Carter's sweat (test matches only) is being bottled. Both available free when you buy the latest All Blacks replica jersey.

OK, it's not true, but it wouldn't be surprising given the recent history of All Blacks marketing.

These are some recent promotional initiatives, in chronological order: Covering various All Blacks in paint and getting them to tackle canvas bags – the resultant art being plastered on billboards around the world.

Blood samples of each All Blacks squad member being mixed with ink to print limited edition posters.

Clods of dirt from each rugby ground in New Zealand being collected and sent with the All Black squad to the World Cup.

The latest is the "This is not a jersey" campaign. According to adidas the famous black jumper is not a jersey but actually a "portal through which men pass," and other Hallmark-card like sentiments.

On behalf of the average Kiwi rugby fan it is actually just a rugby jersey, and we want it back. Now.

"At the end of the day, what we have sold to adidas is a whole lot of history and mystique," New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) chief executive Steve Tew said in an interview with Unlimited business magazine several years ago.

Wrong. The NZRU have sold adidas the right to associate with that history and mystique. They don't own our team or our jersey. We, the rugby public, are the real owners of the All Blacks "brand".

The NZRU will claim they own the All Black brand, but it is worthless without us, the fans.

That is because the All Black brand only exists in the minds of fans. It is the picture each one of us carries in our head of the team and its achievements, it is not the silver fern or something on the jersey. The All Black "brand" is worthless unless the general rugby-loving public are passionate about our national team and all they represent.

Don't get me wrong. I love adidas (who are reportedly spending $200 million on a nine-year sponsorship deal with the NZRU), News Corp, and all of those other big companies helping keep our national game afloat. Without them the NZRU would be less viable than a Kiwi finance company.

But they all need to realise it is not their jersey, it is not their team. It is ours, the average New Zealand rugby fan.

The sponsors must get their money's worth out of backing our team, but it has to be balanced against the current and future health of rugby. And there are signs its position as our national game is weakening. Take this for example: the highest rating sporting event in the last month was not the Bledisloe Cup decider in Brisbane, but the recent netball test in Christchurch – 568,100 people watched the girls in Christchurch, only 428,300 the boys in Brisbane. And the Silver Ferns didn't even have a "This not a pinnie" campaign going. In fact I can't even name who outfits the Silver Ferns.

We've lost sight of the need to protect and enhance our game rather than just maximise the sponsors' benefit.

Those blinkers aren't good for the game, and if they damage the All Blacks, that erodes the value to sponsors anyway. How about a few initial measures to sort it out, and ensure the All Black brand stays strong:

Submit all suggested changes to the All Black uniform to a national fans referendum

Adidas should stop using a Dutch advertising agency to dream up these weird ideas for promoting the All Blacks. They are nice people but have limited rugby heritage.

Only use advertising campaigns that sound credible communicated by Carl Hayman, Alex Wyllie or Richard Loe. Can you imagine Grizz saying "This not material, it is fabric that binds us together"?

Whether they are in Hokianga or Tuatapere, ensure any fan can view an All Blacks test live. Sky TV can still get most of us to subscribe with all the other rugby they have.

We love the All Blacks because they are a great expression of who we are. They are tough, simple, courageous, innovative, humble and punch above their weight. Increasingly we don't recognise the images of the All Blacks in front of us. They are becoming indistinguishable from international sports celebrities in soccer, basketball or golf.

Adidas, News Corporation, Phillips etc, we need you, we love you and we'll keep buying your stuff. But don't kill the golden egg. The All Blacks brand is nothing unless we identify with it and can be passionate about it.

• Greg Williamson is an undistinguished former social rugby player and now armchair rugby expert.

Newest First

Oldest First

Bryn   #72   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

I totally disagree with the article. Addidas and the All Blacks sponsors are doing a brilliant job in promoting the All Blacks while the NZ rugby media try to out do each other in their negativity. It is the rugby media that is killing the golden goose.

Chris   #71   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

To be fair - it really doesn't matter what wacky advertising campaign is thrown at us or who makes the jerseys (personally i think CCC would do a better job!!) or who sponsors the all blacks...none of that drives sales - the AB's are bigger than that....as long as they win - we buy All Blacks gear! its that simple really....so Adidas need to stop wasting all their money on this american style advertising and just hand over the money, stand back and let our boys do their thing...the sales will take care of themselves...

Benson   #70   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

Most of the people who work on the adidas account at 180 (dutch agency) are kiwis

Gary Chiles   #69   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

Adidas are the people who destroyed the Olympics as a sporting spectacle by transforming it into a three week corporate advertisement with some sport thrown in. When I watch the All Blacks these days, I no longer see rugby players, I see only prostitutes. There is something nasty about Adidas that fills me with disgust. I just can't put my finger on what it is exactly. The Rugby World Champions wear Canterbury, why isn't it good enough for the All Blacks?

Matt S   #68   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

Rugby is a good game ,Yes it has been turned into a corporate body, I have been to tests all over the world. I now find it is too expensive for the average bloke for a weekend away at a test match here in New Zealand, if you are lucky enough to have one near you.The basic skills are not there in the game anymore, becuase a high percentage of overseas players like the refs have come through in 5 minutes and are playing international. The game is won and lost on some stupid decisions so much money at stake. The local kids still have to pay huge money for travel at local level and the rugby union are missing the bus. I could go on. My rugby now is I watch my son and its great. I then walk over the paddock and watch my daughter play Hockey.Then i ring my son in invercargill and ask him how did his cycling go. GO THE ALL BLACKS BUT IM NOT PAYING YOUR WAGES JUST LIKE THE OLD DAYS.

PS I got rid of sky after the world cup 08 havent seen any of the super 14 or national NPC what did I miss?

Patrick   #67   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

I can help you out with who outfits the netballers - well who is about to anyway - Adidas - so watch for "this is not a skirt" coming soon.....

sfern   #66   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

you muppet, get off your high horse and appreciate that NZRFU have some more cash in the bank even though they never fail to disappoint at the big occasions. The agency in question is actually based in NZ on this occasion, so you would of thought they may know a thing or two about the sport!

Dave   #65   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

Crybabies. What you're saying is fans are being lost because of pandering to sponsors, and they are benefiting. There is nothing the sponsors want more than happy fans. That way they can push more product. There goals and your goals are the same, you're on the same team just for different reasons. If their marketing activity is proven to lose fans, they'll dump those strategies fast enough.

Daniel   #64   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

Hey Guys, Your forgetting these marketing gurus are also the sort of people that fill up the top tier Stadium Corporate Boxes (and also buy the bottled AB blood and the $100 plus awe-thentic jersey) that us lowly real grass roots fans wouldn't out of principle do! The real fans support Lads from the local clubs and communities that aspire and become the men that wear the AB Jersey, not the AB Jersey! And we support them from homes, pubs, clubs and when we can afford it stadium economy uncovered cheaps seats!!!

Naly D   #63   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

I don't know which uniform you've been looking at. The Australian jersey does not say Australia anywhere on it. The writing under the Wallaby says 'Wallabies'.

Similarly, the South African jersey says 'S A Rugby'. The English jersey just has a rose. The French jersey just has a rooster. The Irish jersey has a four leaf clover and rugby ball logo.

Notice a trend?

Ad Feedback