Rugby fans divided as All Blacks sport new look with Replay denim

Is the All Blacks' new post-match look a fashion fail? Photo / Instagram / All Blacks

The All Blacks are always impeccably kitted out on and off-duty, but is their newest fashion venture a faux pas?

You may not want to replay their last match, but now the ABs are championing Replay off the field. Confused? Let us explain.

A four-year partnership with Italian denim brand Replay was announced back in January on the official All Blacks website.

The brand also has a collaboration with the famous Paris Saint-Germain soccer team.

Replay has replaced Barkers as the official formal wear supplier to the All Blacks, ending what was an 11-year partnership.

Barkers had supplied the All Blacks with formal wear since 2009 and many of the team's stars appeared in iconic campaigns for the brand.

But on October 10, the day before the highly contested game against Australia, the All Blacks shared photos of the team sporting new black denim jeans and jackets to their 965.8k followers on Twitter and 1.7m on Instagram.

The Replay outfits created especially for the team were originally meant to debut for the Super Rugby season in July.

All Blacks in all black @REPLAY 🖤#ReplayJeans #AllBlacks4Replay pic.twitter.com/aZ0I9o2lsc

— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) October 9, 2020

Some All Blacks fans seemed to be on board with the post-match gear, with one commenting on Twitter: "Oh my! I want one of these shirts/jackets!"

"Awesome get-ups, very slick," another wrote.

"Love the shirts," another commented.

However, others weren't too sure about the get-up.

"The All Blacks now rock up to games looking like they're attending the annual Johnny Cash impersonator convention," one tweeted.

Others compared them to the Backstreet Boys, with one writing: "This boy band hits different."

Pride, passion and commitment. When sporting icons pair up with premium denim. @AllBlacks @AntonLB95 @angustaavao @samcane7 @beaudenbarrett @damianmckenzie#ReplayJeans #Replay4AllBlacks #AllBlacks #AllBlacksRugby pic.twitter.com/XKA4Jwkn1G

— Replay Blue Jeans (@REPLAY) January 28, 2020

The announcement on the All Blacks' official website read, "Fashion Box's flagship brand, Replay will become the 'Official Formal wear Partner' and 'Official Denimwear Partner' of the All Blacks, All Blacks Sevens and Māori All Blacks."

New Zealand Rugby's chief executive Mark Robinson said the partnership was a "fantastic opportunity" for Kiwi rugby teams to further their strong international presence.

"Replay share our passion for rugby and pride themselves on quality and innovation - values which also drive rugby in New Zealand and our Teams in Black.

"We were looking for an international brand with the scale to help us increase the overseas profile of our male Teams in Black, so the partnership with Replay is the perfect fit."