All Blacks break with tradition

All Blacks break with tradition

12 Oct 2012

The All Blacks jersey will have the three letters of new sponsor AIG on the front for the next five years, starting from next week’s Bledisloe Cup match in Brisbane.

The sponsorship deal with the US-based insurance company – which also takes in the NZ Maori, NZ Sevens, Black Ferns, Women’s Sevens and U20 national teams – was confirmed at a press conference in Auckland.

‘This is a great day for New Zealand rugby,’ said NZRU chief executive Steve Tew. ‘This is an exciting new partnership that will further secure the future of rugby at all levels in this country and pave the way for our game to reach new fans around the world. Today’s announcement is a game changer for New Zealand rugby.’

All Blacks captain Richie McCaw said the new sponsorship arrangement had his support.

‘It’s really flattering that a company this big has chosen New Zealand rugby to be its cornerstone sponsorship. It shows incredible respect for our traditions, heritage and record of success across all our teams. This will really help make our game stronger right from the community game to the All Blacks so this is great news for rugby.’

The AIG logo on the All Blacks jersey is just under one third the size of the maximum allowed under IRB guidelines.

‘This is not a decision we have taken lightly. Like all New Zealanders we greatly respect the rich and proud heritage of the black jersey, which is why NZRU consulted with senior players and others as we carefully weighed up this latest move,’ Tew said.


573 Comments

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  • 351.Nikita: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:32 pm

    @katman-350:

    Took you a while.

  • 352.poppa69: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:32 pm

    @Atreides-346: you mean winning? its this approach that sees us continuing to increase the overall head to head tally..

    as for the cave, its better then corrugated iron shacks that so many of your countryman have to live in…

    but then, I suppose in your ivory tower behind your gated community you somehow miss all that…

  • 353.Nikita: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:33 pm

    @poppa69-352:

    Do you have a dog poppa?

  • 354.Hurricane: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:34 pm

    @suffer_guy-349:
    Whats the difference between Adidas and AIG?
    Both are sponsors so where is the sell out?
    SA has sponsors as well. I dont get what you are saying

  • 355.poppa69: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:34 pm

    @Nikita-353: I fail to see the relevance of the question?

  • 356.Hurricane: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:35 pm

    @suffer_guy-349:
    Again, where was this 17000 crowd attendence when the Bok and NZ played?

  • 357.Nikita: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:35 pm

    @poppa69-355:

    Don’t answer a question with a question.

  • 358.gonzo: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:35 pm

    @suffer_guy-349: Strange that slightly more people turned up to watch NZ play Argentina and Australia than did to see them play the Boks. Any guess why?

  • 359.cane: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:35 pm

    @Dawn-339:

    No Retalick is not one of us Huttites.

    But if he was, we would love him for all he is worth.

    It is the man within that counts.

  • 360.Nikita: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:36 pm

    @gonzo-358:

    The tickets were free?

  • 361.poppa69: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:36 pm

    @Hurricane-354: the funniest thing in the world is that the Bokkes actually wear three kiwis on their jersey.. :lol:

    even they want to be like the best rugby team ever..

  • 362.Zandberg Jansen: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:37 pm

    faark you guys can talk allot of *****….but very entertaining bull

  • 363.poppa69: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:38 pm

    @Nikita-357: what was the question?

  • 364.suffer_guy: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:38 pm

    gonzo .. Argentina fans travelled to NZ in their thousands … and what a let down the country was for them …

  • 365.Nikita: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:39 pm

    @Zandberg Jansen-362:

    Someone here at office said I should greet you with ‘Nag ou grote’

    Does it make sense? I have no idea.

  • 366.Zandberg Jansen: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:40 pm

    @Nikita-365: Yup

  • 367.poppa69: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:40 pm

    @suffer_guy-364: and you know this how?

    what a plank, are you jealous because you never got a chance to kill any of them?

  • 368.suffer_guy: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:41 pm

    nikita are you lindsay lohan? you look very similar …

  • 369.David: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:41 pm

    I’d love to see the reaction if this story was posted on a US site like Huffington Post about AIG sponsoring the national team of a couple of tiny Pacific islands for some game called rugby. :lol:

  • 370.katman: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:42 pm

    @Nikita-351: No one rushes the katman. No one.

  • 371.Hurricane: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:43 pm

    @suffer_guy-364:
    Answer my question
    Where was this 17000 attendence when the Boks vs the ABs played.

  • 372.Nikita: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:43 pm

    @suffer_guy-368:

    No I’m not. She had plastic surgery.

  • 373.SuperStirrer: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:43 pm

    @poppa69-361: The funniest thing in the world to my wife is the Haka, I really try to make her appreciate it but she just cans herself whenever she happens by and they are performing. She is not a rugby fan.

  • 374.poppa69: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:43 pm

    anyways, good night to supporters of the third best team in world rugby..

    lucky Argentina was involved, or you would have had yet another wooden spoon..

    must suck having to support such mediocrity so often, but then I guess you guys are used to it..

    Saffa rugby, what a fcken joke… too dumb to develop skills, too stupid to recognise the fact..

  • 375.Atreides: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:44 pm

    @poppa69-352: Yep AIG sure did win in 2009! But ok, play obtuse.

    As for the cave, this is called a ‘figure of speech’. These are taught in ‘schools’.
    In this instance, referring to you perhaps not being completely up to speed on global affairs, precious. Don’t be so literal about everything.

  • 376.katman: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:44 pm

    @cane-359: So you’re not of the opinion that Retalica sold out with the All Black album?

  • 377.The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:44 pm

    @gonzo-327: With the global economy asfuckedup as what it is, we should all just be chuffed as hell that the sport we all love HAS sponsors fullstop.
    Call me cheap….but I honestly don’t give a damn who sponsors national teams, as long as money continues to be thrown into the game of rugby (at all levels I might add).

    If we want ‘cleaner than the driven snow’ sponsors, the Boks and AB’s would both be stuck with a ‘mom and pop’ home enterprise’s name on their shirts…….

    The Boks – proudly sponsored by Kerkorrel’s Koeksusters.
    The AB’s – proudly sponsored by Larry’s Lamb pies.

  • 378.Hurricane: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:44 pm

    @suffer_guy-364:
    At least they survived…unlike hmmmm yeah you know where this is going

  • 379.Nikita: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:44 pm

    @katman-370:

    Whatever

  • 380.Hurricane: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:45 pm

    @SuperStirrer-373:
    Yeah some people dont get it, its all good.

  • 381.suffer_guy: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:45 pm

    Even the Boks started to laugh when NZ did their haka …. you could see they tried not to, but it really looks silly

  • 382.poppa69: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:46 pm

    @Atreides-375: do you have schools in SA? are they only for those with privilege?

  • 383.katman: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:46 pm

    @Nikita-379: Precisely.

  • 384.Hurricane: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:47 pm

    @katman-376:
    lol

  • 385.Nikita: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:47 pm

    @katman-383:

    Priceless

  • 386.gonzo: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:47 pm

    @David-369: What’s even stranger is that this is a saffer site, as we are often told, just before we get told to f’ off :) . Almost 400 posts. Glad to know people have an opinion corporate responsibility at least

  • 387.sharks_lover: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:48 pm

    @katman-376: Lol boet

  • 388.Hurricane: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:48 pm

    @suffer_guy-381:
    Still havnt answered my question have you?

  • 389.BrumbiesBoy: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:48 pm

    @Nikita-365: This should be interesting.

    I thought he was long gone!

  • 390.Nikita: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:48 pm

    My opinion not that it counts for much.

    Woolworths would have been a good sponsor for the All Blacks.

  • 391.Atreides: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:49 pm

    @poppa69-382: Too lteral. Try again.

  • 392.poppa69: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:49 pm

    @suffer_guy-381: not as silly as 80000 people turning up to see their team manshamed

    is it ABS at soccer city 2 wins
    Bokkes at Soccer city 0 wins?

    please, lets move on to travel disadvantage, thats one you guys havent mentioned in a while..

    shame thats been truly dealt with now..

    and here I was, thinking SA wasnt for sissies :lol: another mythy..

  • 393.Atreides: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:50 pm

    @Nikita-390: I see what you did there

  • 394.Nikita: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:50 pm

    @BrumbiesBoy-389:

    Mr Jansen may be able to answer that question. I don’t trust them here anyway.

  • 395.suffer_guy: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:50 pm

    hurrican there were 15 000 locals and 1960 journalists, a few cameramen, a tv ref, 2 touch judges, a ref and 30 players on the park … i forgot about the coaches and reserves … okay 17 025 then!

  • 396.Hurricane: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:51 pm

    lol
    I thought CC was the business, yet ABs put 3 letters on the jersey and that thread kick the CC thread. Makes you wonder what is more important….ABs or the CC?

  • 397.Nikita: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:51 pm

    @poppa69-392:

    Didn’t you say good night?

  • 398.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:51 pm

    Vok.

    The strike has just ended.

    :evil:

  • 399.Atreides: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:52 pm

    @Hurricane-396: I couldn’t be arrsed to read all the waffle. What was the gist?

  • 400.Nikita: Reply to this comment
    12 Oct 2012, 14:52 pm

    @Atreides-393:

    You agree?

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