The New Zealand All Blacks have a rugby legacy epitomised by their jersey, every rugby fan and those outside of the sport know the team by one glance at what they wear while playing.

It has been worn by some of the best players in history like Dan Carter, Richie McCaw and Jonah Lomu. You may think that there is little change to the jersey as, after all, it has to be all black… 

However, when you dig into the archives, you notice some nuanced differences year from year, enough to cause, on occasion, conversation and controversy among the rugby and New Zealand public.

The question is – which jerseys have been the most memorable throughout the years? Here are some of the best since 1987.

Related: The 2024 New Zealand All Blacks jersey brings back the classic collar

New Zealand All Blacks rugby jerseys ranked

1987  

The 1987 jersey was worn to the very first Rugby World Cup, a trophy which was won by the All Blacks. Ironically, the jersey was not all black with a distinctive white collar.

The jersey was made by Canterbury and the only detailing was the team name with the iconic silver fern. The silver fern has been on the All Blacks jersey since 1905 but the idea for its use dates back to the 1890s. Silver ferns are only found in New Zealand and to Maori the shape of the silver fern stands for strength, resistance and enduring power.

Editor’s verdict: A classic of the genre that brought home the first Rugby World Cup in history, we cannot criticise. 9/10

1995

The jersey for the Rugby World Cup in 1991 was identical to that of 1987. But in 1995 it had slight alterations. Canterbury were still in charge of producing the jersey and it still had its all black colour scheme, aside from the white collar. The silver fern and team name also remained in place, as it does to this day.

The sleeves were again long and the jersey was not fitted. However, it had the Rugby World Cup logo on the right-hand side.

Editor’s verdict: Jonah’s jersey. Not much change from 1987 but this jersey, from the 1995 World Cup, will forever be among the most iconic the sport’s seen. 10/10

1999 

The iconic elements of the jersey remained the same in 1999 but with one key difference – who made it. In 1999 the manufacturer for the jersey changed hands. Canterbury no longer had the contract and it was given to Adidas. Some 25 years on and the All Blacks and Adidas are still in partnership creating jerseys for the men’s, women’s and rugby sevens teams.

In reality, the changes were fairly minimal and can be seen on the jersey with a small white Adidas logo. Another change came with the white collar being altered to be black.

Editor’s verdict: The All Blacks association with Adidas is iconic and something we hope continues far beyond 2024 – although we’ve heard rumours that Adidas are looking to get out of rugby entirely. 8/10

2008

The 2003 and 2007 Rugby World Cup jerseys followed the same pattern as 1999. In 2008, however, there was a slight difference to Richie McCaw’s jersey.

The design was very similar with the all black material and the logos included. However, a commemorative jersey was presented to the All Blacks captain which included a thread with 100,000 All Blacks fans’ names sewn into it. The thread was on the silver fern and was given to McCaw as a show of the nation’s support.

Editor’s verdict: Much more of the same. No interesting features, no smart designs, no rizz. 6/10

2011

The 2011 Rugby World Cup not only saw the return of the white collar detailing but also the return of the trophy to the All Blacks.

The golden trophy on the right arm had been introduced in the early noughties and they added another date to the bottom of it with a home win as New Zealand hosted the tournament.

Here’s the legendary Jerome Kaino posing ahead of that year’s home World Cup in New Zealand.

Editor’s verdict: The nod back to white collars from the past was a nice idea but if you’re going to do that, do it properly with a full collar. 6/10

Related: The 2024 New Zealand All Blacks jersey brings back the classic collar

2015

In 2015 the collar of the jersey was black as well as the rest of the fabric. The collar was less pronounced but was still designed as one with the front having a gap where buttons would go.

The Rugby World Cup emblem remained in place and the writing was white. However, the silver fern, country name and Adidas logo were in silver. The jersey was fitted as they had been since the turn of the millennium.

Editor’s verdict: We quite like the silver fern and three stripes of Adidas, it was a clean look. 8/10

2019

The 2019 Rugby World Cup saw the All Blacks try and win three World Cups on the bounce, instead they finished third.

Their jersey in the tournament changed the silver fern, nation name and Adidas logo back to white. The white collar also made a comeback while the on-shirt sponsorship was provided by AIG, an American multinational insurance company.

Editor’s verdict: Again, if you are going to run with the white collar, it needs to be a proper one. 6.5/10

2023

The All Blacks jersey for the 2023 Rugby World Cup saw the return of a prominent collar. There was also an introduction to fern detailing in the main body of the jersey but the new detailing did not go down well with fans with some calling it “awful” and “terrible”.

The French designer Fey the Wolf said: “There is no more iconic jersey in sport, so it was an incredible privilege to be entrusted with reimagining it for this moment. Central to my approach was to encapsulate what the fern means to New Zealanders of all backgrounds and to help, I was lucky enough to spend time with members of the squad, which provided valuable insight.

“What stood out to me most, is the sense of guardianship. That the jersey is never owned but passed on to create a continuous line. This was a true jumping off point when starting the creative process – and the responsibility I too carry.”

Editor’s verdict: This jersey did not go down well with the home fans, oh no it did not! Not sure why, we don’t mind it! 7/10

2024

The 2024 jersey sees a call back to the 1987 one with an all-white pronounced collar. There are also three black stripes on the shoulders. On the right is the Adidas logo with Altrad the middle sponsor.

The left still has the silver fern with the nation’s name. It was first worn for the All Blacks’ two-match series against England in New Zealand which the hosts won 2-0.

Editor’s verdict: Oh yes, now we are talking. Proper collar, finally! 9.5/10

Download the digital edition of Rugby World straight to your tablet or subscribe to the print edition to get the magazine delivered to your door.

Follow Rugby World on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter/X.