All Black leisurewear reviewed
Sport Review #130
Our national rugby team has inked a deal with Italian leisurewear company Replay. They’re now contractually obliged to parade about looking like either an Italian barman that got a little too familiar with your missus in an under-lit bar off the piazza that time, or a cowboy.
It wasn’t always this way. Sport Review presents a review of strong All Black looks from yesteryear, to remind New Zealander our heroes can dress with the best of them.
Keith Murdoch - If you're going to be thrown off an All Black tour you might as well do it in Cuban heels. Nothing says you mean business like a full moustache matching a full, short trouser as you push past the media scumbags to the lounge. Gents, if you want an example of how rules are made to be broken, check out the midriff tie. Textbook.
Zinny and Loey - So everyone’s been given a team-issue blue shirt? That’s no reason to stifle your style! Hardman Richard Loe has paired it with the off-white trou and white sneakers to walk around an Irish bog, confident in the knowledge the mud wouldn’t dare to come at him.
Meanwhile Zinan went with his best jeans and the white sock / boat shoe combo that screams 90s Auckland louder than Hawaiian shirts, pina coladas, mullets, droopy moustaches, Steinlager sweatshirts, cheerleaders at the Blues, going on the piss with Matthew Ridge and Brent Todd and losing world cups! Classic!
Richie McCaw - Our greatest has never met a promotional polo he doesn't like. There’s something about the heady odour of pique cotton and embroidered logos that’s hard to resist, especially when a) it’s free and b) you’re getting paid shitloads to wear it. Like the look? Track Richie down on TradeMe, and you can buy his old ones for yourself!
Colin Meads - It doesn’t get more iconic than this. Get back to basics with your best Aertex shirt, mingle it with you chest hair and grab Bunty and Chops for the photo op. Simple.
Dan Carter - Dan’s touching tribute to Billy T James was the stand out of 2008’s Jockey’s collection.
Thanks for reading - Richard
The week's best NZ sport content
How Ewan Chatfield saved a Test in Dunedin, and what his team mates did next [After The Whistle]
Insane story of a small scale dispute in a Wellington swimming club that went all the way to the high court [Stuff]
Jodi Brown is following a stellar netball career with the big job of helping create a culture of clean sport [LockerRoom]
We lost a great one this week in John R Reid, a cricketing giant. Here’s a run down of his achievements and life, as well as early reaction [Stuff]
Dave Leggat catches up with Emily Drumm, one of our greatest cricketers and star of that 2000 world cup win [LockerRoom]
Meanwhile, Ian Anderson has concerns about the current team, recent performances and the trajectory… [Stuff]
Video nasty
I say let him in.
Long read
Reading other people’s delusions is a great way to feel better about yourself, and ‘Am I the Asshole?’ on Reddit and Twitter is compulsive through-your-fingers-reading [The Ringer]
Recommendation
The Stuff Circuit team’s take down of Billy TK and his grifting, tax dodging, foreign bank account shit canoe operation is great, the story and the video [Stuff]
Bring back the gif
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