“The IRB is committed to the growth and development of Women’s Rugby worldwide through our strategic plan and there are now more women and girls participating in the sport than ever before”
[IRB Chairman Bernard Lapasset]

Women’s rise in the ranks of rugby has been swift and it’s a good thing.

New Zealand's most experienced female referee, Nicky Inwood

Beauty and the ... assistant referee ...

At home on the rugby field

Jessica Beard

Check out these bad boys from Nike worn by All Black Corey Jane.

Corey Jane, Wellington, Hurricanes, All Backs

But it doesn’t look like this proposed new section will include any boots from players wearing ospreys colours.

The Welsh club giant have banned coloured boots for anyone who hasn’t played more than 50 games for the club.

So does this mean they will be using coloured boots as the ultimate status symbol?

A player will get his club tie after 25 games, his team blazer after 30 games and his coloured boots after 50 games.

We spoke to All Black Corey Jane after a recent match for his province, Wellington.

Check out this shocker from Waikato hooker Vern Camo.

Last year, he went with a double-barreled tail so it’s good to see he’s working it

The new sleek model was snapped here at the Wellington v Canterbury NPC match in late June and he definitely looks like he has dropped a few pounds.

We will ask him about it when we next see him and pass on the details.

It was Adidas who told us that ‘It’s more than a jersey’ during one of their expensive marketing campaigns around the All Blacks. Or it might be more accurate to say that global marketing agency TBWA said that.

I would think that all Super and provincial rugby teams in New Zealand are ‘more than a jersey’ also.

So why should they be afforded any less mana?

A few points about the new jersey follow below but first – to qualify:

1. I think New Zealand super rugby franchises have an identity challenge to galvanize support from the constituent union

2. I am in favour of rugby making innovative decisions around the financial future of the game

3. I am in favour of trying concepts and strategies that will bring this about

4. I think a lot of rugby decision-makers occupy their positions by virtue of having played the game rather than any particular skill or ability in administering and/or securing the game’s future in our current climate

5. I think marketing agencies have little knowledge of what it is to play and (genuinely) support rugby

6. I think a lot of rugby decision-makers are susceptible to schmoozing and concept pitches from marketing agencies

7. I think the outcomes of a lot of marketing and promotional spend around rugby is very disappointing

Colour

It’s hard to divorce colour from New Zealand’s rugby unions.

• The amber and blacks (Taranaki)
• The green and blacks (South Canterbury)
• The red and blacks (Canterbury)
• The maroon and gold of Southland
• The blue and gold of Otago
• The green and gold (Mid Canterbury)
• The Cambridge Blue of Northland

Up until now, colour has been inseparable.

The Highlanders franchine is made up of Otago (blue and gold); Southland (maroon and gold) and North Otago (gold and maroon).

What was wrong with the status quo?

The Highlanders already had jerseys that dialed up the individual flavors of Southland, Otago and North Otago quite successfully.

The current jerseys tastefully incorporated the colours of the Highlanders unions

They had the option of playing in the predominantly home colours of Southland when playing in Invercargill and Otago when playing in Dunedin.

The West Coast Crusaders jersey was a huge success and could have been used as a model for localisation in the different versions of super rugby jerseys.

But there is an argument to say that the Super Rugby franchises need to forge their own identity.

The execution – average

A lot of feeling was expressed in the build up to the launch of the new jersey. Opinions varied but there seemed to be a lot of opposition. Not quite as much as that felt in Wellington when the airport tried to erect a ‘Wellywood’ sign but enough for concern.

Was this just traditionalism rebelling against change?

Maybe – maybe not. But the timing and proximity to the Crusaders training jersey were unfortunate.

Timing

The Highlanders were in a fierce battle for playoff spots. A narrow loss to the Lions the week before left the Southerners with must-win games to ensure the close of their season matched the magnificent opening.

With the press focusing on the jersey and players asked for their opinions, was there a chance that the team was just slightly distracted from the job at hand?

Result: the last game at Carisbrook was a loss that signified the end of the Highlanders season after their most promising start in a decade. And they did it in a lime green jersey … that looked like a training outfit.

The actual jersey – a little disappointing

With all of the hype around Sonny Bill Williams, someone was bound to get a photo of him at training.

Did Adidas just re-hash the Crusaders' training jersey?

The conspiracy angle?

Is the move away from the traditional colours of the Highlanders’ unions the first step in a potential move of the Highlanders franchise?

It’s possible that the change of colours starts to distance the Highlanders brand from the Otago-Southland region.

And if this is indicative of shift in thinking, then it could just be the first step in a movement away from their Dunedin base.

The verdict – another marketing fail!

The  concept for a new lime coloured jersey was the result of a marketing agency. They sold it to the Highlanders management – that’s what happened.

1. The premise that the Highlanders need to forge their own identity is sound

2. That the jersey and colours are a key part of the identity of a rugby brand is also sound

3. A change in the colours and jersey of the franchise might be a good thing

We can agree with the reasoning of the three statements above but it doesn’t mean we agree in any way to a lime green training jersey as the flagship of the Highlanders.

He has since shaved off his trademark beard but there was a week or so stubble when he played sevens for North Harbour at the recent Bay of Plenty Provincial Sevens at Mount Maunganui.

Apparently the scene has caused offense in parts of the gay community.

I happened to be working at the airline at the time the video was released. We saw a sneak preview during a meeting with the agency responsible for coming up with it.

The feeling at the time was that the naked grandma streak would be the part to turn heads, my first question was ‘why didn’t they have Kahui actually kiss the guy? – that would have been funny …’

Background

Air New Zealand’s brand has been through an overhaul over the past 5+ years. Their CEO Rob Fyfe has a young persona and is credited with having turned the airline around during tough times. He was voted CEO of the Year for 2010.

Previous safety video campaigns have involved body paint – and some of these included Fyfe.

Air New Zealand have a YouTube Channel showcasing their videos.

So there is a pattern of edgy, somewhat risque depictions. But never distasteful – at least not in my opinion.

Many advertising agencies would like nothing more than to generate shock value from their work.

Remember the 42 Below vs California gay community saga?

I don’t think that was what was happening here.

No doubt someone at the agency had the same sentiment as me and suggested Kahui go ahead with the kiss. But clearly someone (maybe Kahui himself, the All Black Management or the Players Association) thought better of it.

That said, another part of Air New Zealand is trying to generate shock value from a promotional campaign. Grabaseat often depicts Maori phrases and personalities in ways that could be seen to be lacking in creativity.

Northern Exposure

3 weeks ago on the Northern Exposure program on New Zealand’s Rugby Channel, Richard Kahui was the guest of match commentator Scotty ‘Sumo’ Stevenson.

The show reviews happenings in the Northern Hemisphere where a lot of international players make their living, including many New Zealanders. These are the most lucrative leagues around, the rugby is high quality, the crowds are large and the sponsors are prominent.

Man-Love

Sumo Stevenson has been known to give man-love during his commentaries. References to player’s looks, haircuts and facial hair are mixed in with those directed at their playing abilities.

I remember he expressed particular sentiment for Horowhenua-Kapiti playmaker, Warwick Lamert during the 2009 National Sevens Tournament in Queenstown.

During this particular show there was a lot of banter that involved discussions about one or other player’s looks and haircuts. The men were enjoying some of the finer aspects of the game in a light atmosphere.

Monty Python Exit

Comedy troupe Monty opened their ‘Live at the Hollywood Bowl’ show with a short song entitled ‘Sit on my Face’. At the conclusion, the performers walk off, revealing that they have no pants on underneath the long aprons that they are wearing.

At the conclusion this episode of Northern Exposure, as the credits were rolling, Kahui gets up to leave his chair. As he turns to walk off, he clearly isn’t wearing any pants.

It wasn’t audible, but I just knew that Sumo was nearly falling off his chair with laughter – as was I.

Whopper in speedos

It may have been Sumo’s idea.

He had had a similar idea for Southland captain Jamie McIntosh when he was requested for a radio interview following the southerner’s historic win over Waikato this season.

I was under the stands at the time when ‘Whopper’ came out. He was wearing a hoodie and his underwear – nothing particularly unusual outside a dressing room after a game of code.

‘No offense’

This offense at the safety video is a shame. Hopefully it is not felt by many because I believe it is not intended by anyone involved.

Many agencies would love the controversy and air-time that this matter has received but I don’t think it was intended.

The intention was to be edgy but not poor taste.

Where to now?

New Zealand rugby fans have had to suffer through a multitude of snide remarks from ex-All Black Murray Mexted during his match commentaries.

Rugby is a masculine pursuit but nobody said it had to be boring. We now have a more worldly landscape thanks to the likes of Stevenson and Kahui. Let’s hope it continues.