New Zealand unveil new £80 strip ahead of England clash as All Blacks prepare for Autumn internationals
- New Zealand will tour the Northern hemisphere in November
- All Blacks faces matches against Japan, England, Ireland and Italy
- New strip features return of white collar and will be used until 2019 World Cup
New Zealand are gearing up for the Autumn internationals where they will tour the Northern hemisphere and have released a brand new kit to mark the occasion.
The All Blacks will face Japan, England, Ireland and Italy during November’s tour and have, ahead of a clash with the former, unveiled a new strip in Tokyo.
Kit makers adidas claim to have worked closely with stars such as Captain Kieran Read, Beauden Barrett, Samuel Whitelock and Sonny Bill Williams over an 18-month period in designing the kit.
New Zealand players unveil their new strip to be used in the Autumn internationals
Beauden Barrett (left) and Ryan Crotty help model the new All Blacks strip
A key feature includes the return of a white collar not seen since 2014, while finer details sees 3D logos and raw, elastic cuffs in the design.
All Blacks skipper Read says: ‘I’ve been honoured to wear a few black jerseys in my career. There’s a lot of amazing work that goes into the design and we’re always excited to see where adidas takes its innovation when it comes to new technology and design.
‘We enjoyed working alongside the adidas team to help create it and can’t wait to wear it out on the field.’
The All Blacks will be touring the Northern hemisphere during November
The new strip sees the All Blacks welcome back a white collar for the first time since 2014
ALL BLACKS TOUR
Nov 3: Japan, Tokyo
Nov 11: England, Twickenham
Nov 18: Ireland, Dublin
Nov 25: Italy, Rome
Adidas’s James Foster added: ‘We continue to strive for a fit that mirrors a ‘second skin’, suitable for all athletes across the field. We have undergone rigorous fit and performance testing with key athletes over the last 18 months and we are confident that this release will deliver the best performance yet.
‘There’s no doubt that the topic on everyone’s mind will be the return of the white collar. We worked very closely with the players and New Zealand Rugby to reintroduce a well-respected and traditional element of the jersey. We’re really happy with it and hope All Blacks supporters are too.’
Fans wanting to purchase a replica though will have to likely dig deep into their pockets with the strip costing nearly £80 (150 New Zealand dollars).
After the strip makes its debut against Japan on Saturday at the Ajinomoto Stadium in Tokyo, the All Blacks will head to Europe to complete their tour of the Northern hempisphere.
The strip will be in use until the 2019 World Cup, but will then return for 2020.
The kit was unveiled in Tokyo where it will make its debut on Saturday against Japan
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