“ALL WHITES?”

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 967, 9 May 1930, Page 7

“ALL WHITES?”

QUITE a lot of people have been asking what colours will the British team wear in its matches in New Zealand. It is well known that England wears white with a red rose on the breast in international matches, Scotland blue with a thistle on the breast. Ireland green with a shamrock, and Wales red with Prince of Wales feathers. It was generally expected that the colours of the British team would he a combination of these colours, as has been the case in the past, but news has now been received by the New Zealand Rugby Union that the team’s uniform will consist of a dark-blue jersey-, white shorts, and dark-blue stockings with white tops. On the jersey will be worn a badge in the form of a shield, with three golden lions embroidered thereon. The question has now been raised as to whether or not the dark-blue-jerseys will be confusing when the team meets the All Blacks and some of the provinces. Otago and Wanganui both play in dark-blue jerseys. New Zealand’s colours, however, are a dead black with black shorts and stockings, with the well-known silver fern on the left breast, and this will probably he sufficiently distinctive to prevent confusion on a dry day, but there will undoubtedly be complications if any of the Test matches are played on a wet ground, and there is just a possibility that the All Blacks will this year become All Whites so as to prevent any chance of confusion. The Management Committee of the New Zealand Itughy Union will deal with the question after consultation with the British team next week. The Wellington Union has already dealt with the problem and will play in gold and black hoops, usually considered this province’s secondary colours. Wellington generally plays in black jerseys and white shorts, but this would have been very confusing with the British team’s dark-blue and white shorts. It seems somewhat unfortunate on the occasion of such an important tour that New Zealand should have to change from its well-known black uniform, and there will he some who will say that the English Rugby Union has shown very little consideration for New Zealand under the circumstances, as it well knew before deciding on the colours to he worn during the tour what was the style of the New Zealand uniform. Under the circumstances a striped jersey combining the colours of the different portions of the United Kingdom interested would have been more in keeping with the existing conditions. It would also have been a decided courtesy to the Dominion which is to he their host for something like three months. However, the team is now nearly here and their colours cannot he changed at this stage of the tour, so it looks as if New Zealanders may have to bow to the inevitable and forget for one season only that they are All Blacks so far as uniform is concerned, though it is needless to say that the Dominion’s players will not forget they are All Blacks in ability and potency.—C.W.T.