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Change tipped for All Blacks jersey
25/04/2007
Yahoo!Xtra
The evolution of the famous All Blacks jersey looks set to continue with the 2007 World Cup model to be unveiled on Thursday and tipped to feature a crew-neck design.
The jersey will be launched by manufacturer adidas at the New Zealand Rugby Union's annual meeting in Wellington with media invited to the event to be staged in a dressing room at the Cake Tin.
The main change in the jersey according to the The New Zealand Herald is in the design of the neckline.
It will apparently be a crew-neck design rather than the current buttoned v-neck style.
The newspaper also suggested the jersey could feature a silver fern printed into mesh side panels.
That would be a major step away from the solid black jersey that has become one of the most famous sporting symbols.
The jersey has undergone a steady transformation over the past decade as the All Blacks, through alleged technology breakthroughs by their major partner adidas, have looked for performance edges with their playing apparel.
The biggest move was to drop the white collar for a more streamlined look and the jersey sizes were also reduced to more body-hugging designs aimed at making tackling more difficult.
At one stage rubber-type panels were placed on the chest to assist with ball-catching.
The latest neck design will bring the All Blacks more in line with some of their leading rivals like England and France who are sponsored by Nike and wear jerseys with crew necks that resemble T-shirts rather than traditional rugby jerseys.
All World Cup jerseys must feature the IRB's World Cup logo on the right breast.