England will wear a new all black strip in New Zealand during
the Rugby World Cup, beginning with the 2007 runners-up opening
match against Argentina in Dunedin.
While England have worn a dark colour before, wearing a stark
grey (officially termed as anthracite) jersey when they defeated
Australia in November 35-18 last year, this uniform will be jet
black, with no other colour present on the strip except the chest
emblem of the Red Rose.
Nike, the supplier of uniforms to England’s senior teams, will
unveil the new kit on August 1. This is a ploy against Adidas who
supply the black kit for the NZ All Blacks. Isn't that a trade mark
breach in terms of national colours?
The decision is not the first time a side has decided to shift
their uniform when either playing the All Blacks or travelling to
New Zealand, with the French controversially ‘darkening’ their
traditional blue uniform when playing in the 2007 Rugby World Cup
quarter final in Cardiff.
Goes to show that the poms and french are poor desperate
bastards when it comes to trying to win the World Cup Rugby Final.
The whole affair is absurd and questions need to be asked why it
has been allowed by the IRB and or NZRFU. The English Team will be
booed off the field in NZ during their World Cup matches, and if
they do get to play the NZ All Blacks in the final the English will
have to wear their traditonal colour of white. What an absolute
joke. What an hypocrisy. The fact that this is intentional shows
that English Rugby Union patrons have no respect for the NZ All
Blacks and their traditional black uniform who are hosting this
years World Cup.
With the rigid Draconian mentality of the English Rugby Union
(who actually believe just because they invented the game they can
control what happens at World Cups) this is a sad state of affairs
for World Rugby when teams like the French first then the English
believe that those actions don't have a cause and effect. Thank god
for Tri Nations and Southern Hemisphere Rugby. Not only has
Southern Hemisphere Rugby changed the shape of the game they have
ruled the game for decades and that is not likely to change because
England have been allowed to wear black at the 2011 Rugby World Cup
in NZ this year.
