Is the All Blacks' AIG logo too intrusive? – NBR subscribers' verdict
By a margin of nearly two-to-one, NBR ONLINE subscribers do not think the All Blacks' new sponsorship is too intrusive.
Controversial insurance giant American International Group (AIG) will sponsor the All Blacks until at least early 2018, in a deal which includes having its logo across the front of the black jersey.
NZRU chief executive Steve Tew says the sponsorship is the second most valuable rugby sponsorship deal after Adidas.
Under the new arrangement, AIG will also sponsor the Maori All Blacks, the Black Ferns, the women's sevens team and the Under-20 teams.
Mr Tew says AIG's support is vital to the NZRU's financial security.
"We have new and ambitious goals, including winning gold in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 with men's and women's sevens, so it's vital we have sponsors like AIG and adidas backing us over the long term," Mr Tew says.
AIG's president and ceo Bob Benmosche says the sponsorship deal is a good move for his company.
"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."
As part of the deal, AIG's logo will be added to the front of the All Blacks jersey, to be debuted when they play Australia in Brisbane on October 20.
This is the first time the All Blacks jersey will don a logo across its front.
"This is not a decision we have taken lightly," Mr Tew says.
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Comments and questions3
And just why do we have a "Maori All Blacks"? At first sight it would appear that Maori aren't good enough to be in the real All Blacks, but many Maori have been very successful All Blacks, so that's not the reason.
What would happen if someone tried to start up the "Pakeha All Blacks", with no Maori allowed. There would be howls of "racist" from our "brown brothers".
But would't most of the "Maori All Blacks" also qualify as Pakeha because they have some "white" blood in them?
Having been born and raised in the far north let me say you are quite right -- there is sfa full blooded maoris around only a bunch of plastic maoris with their hands out for money et al.