Who originated the NZ ALL Blacks jersey?

Question

Who originated the NZ ALL Blacks jersey?

Answer 1

the "who" was a Maori player/lawyer, and first NZ rugby union captain by the name of Rangiwahia (Tom) Ellison.

He chose black because they were the colours of the most feared predator in NZ in pre-European times, the hokioi.

He chose the silver fern because that symbol represented the means by which war parties would track their way through the forests.

Ellison was a great rugby thinker, who integrated many of the traditional ball playing skills of his people, the Maori, into rugby as he developed the code from a bash & crash type of game into one of skills and technique and specialised positions. He wrote the book 'The Art of Rugby' which has been the biggest  influence on rugby through the ages.

Answer 2

Neath Rugby club in South Wales were the first 'All Blacks'.

They used to just wear dark strip, but during a game against Maesteg in the nineteenth century, one of the players had a rib broken, taken to Bridgend Hospital and died through complications.

Ever since then, they have worn black, this pre-dated the New Zealanders, who probably copied Neath by almost a century.

Answer 3

The original All Black jersey was dark blue with a gold fern left side of the jumper that they wore on their tour of Australia in 1884.  In the year 1893 the NZRU at their AGM stipulated that the jersey be changed to black with a silver fern and white knickerbockers.

Answer 4

ahhh Neath (lovely town, great people..lived there a while ago for a few years)...don't new zealand wear grey?