NZRU agrees to All Blacks shirt sponsorship

The iconic All Blacks jersey will carry a sponsor's brand for only the second time in its history after the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) confirmed a five-and-a-half-year deal with insurance company AIG.

The deal will see the American insurance giant become the major global sponsor of the NZRU and official insurance partner of the All Blacks.

NZRU Chief Executive Steve Tew said the deal represents world rugby's second most lucrative commercial partnership behind the body's own agreement with Adidas, but it is the inclusion of the AIG logo on the front of the All Blacks shirt that is set to prove contentious.

While the logo of beer brand Steinlager was emblazoned on the right side of the jersey during the mid-1990s, the famous All Black kit has remained clean of a sponsor's brand on the front of the jersey since the team began playing in the late 1880s.

New Zealand was one of the few remaining international rugby teams without a front-of-jersey sponsor, but the NZRU insisted it had carried out thorough consultation work with various stakeholders before rubber-stamping the deal.

Under the agreement, AIG will also directly sponsor the All Blacks Sevens, the Maori All Blacks, the New Zealand Black Ferns, the New Zealand Women's Sevens and New Zealand Under 20 teams.

Tew explained "(this) announcement is a game changer for New Zealand rugby.

"New Zealand rugby was already benefitting from the most valuable sponsorship in the rugby world through its partnership with Adidas. To the best of our knowledge, the partnership with AIG is the second most valuable rugby sponsorship. We sincerely thank Adidas for helping to ensure we were able to develop this valuable new partnership. Adidas remains the principal partner of the NZRU whose support has underpinned rugby in this country since 1999 and will continue to at least 2019."

AIG's sponsorship of all six New Zealand national teams begins this weekend with the All Blacks Sevens at the HSBC Sevens World Series tournament on the Gold Coast and will include the All Blacks when they take on Australia in the final Bledisloe Cup clash in Brisbane on 20th October.

The NZRU said the AIG logo on the All Blacks jersey is just under one third the size of the maximum allowed under International Rugby Board guidelines in consideration of the historical significance of the jersey.

Tew added "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. On balance it is a very positive opportunity to secure the additional funds that we need to help safeguard the future of the game in this country."

AIG President and Chief Executive Bob Benmosche stated "prominently associating the AIG brand with the legendary All Blacks and the highly competitive and successful New Zealand Rugby Union teams, as well as passionate rugby fans around the world, represents a tremendous opportunity for AIG, the NZRU, and rugby.

"We are extremely honoured to be the All Blacks' newest front-of-jersey sponsor and excited by the benefits that come with the teaming of two world-class franchises. Rugby is popular around the globe and growing rapidly in the United States, and the top rugby nations align with regions where AIG is strongly represented and is targeting growth."

25th August 2011 - ADIDAS APOLOGISES OVER ALL BLACKS JERSEY PRICING

23rd April 2011 - NZRU REVEALS FINANCIAL LOSS AND APPOINTS BRYAN WILLIAMS AS NEW PRESIDENT