Logo controversy: SBW okay about wearing AIG sign on All Black hjersey

Sonny Bill Williams during a training session with the New Zealand sevens team. Photo / Alan Gibson

Sonny Bill Williams has no objection to wearing the prominent insurance logo on the All Blacks jersey.

In the wake of the Blues BNZ collar logo controversy, New Zealand Rugby general manager Neil Sorensen told the Radio Sport Breakfast that there would be no similar issue regarding Williams' return to the All Blacks.

"With AIG there is no problem at all - Sonny is okay to have an insurance company on his jersey at this stage of his career or life," Sorensen said."He is not available to do promotions for them and they (AIG) are fine with it and will find other players to do it.

"They've (the players) all got a suite of sponsors and if Sonny is not doing an AIG promotion, he'll do something else. They've all got to do their bit, they are contracted to do a certain amount of hours per year and they have to nail those."

Sorensen said he was disappointed in the lack of communication from Williams, and said SBW and his manager Khoder Nasser had admitted to mistakes after the player taped over the logo when he made his debut for the Blues against the Highlanders.

Williams had a dispensation not to wear the logo under the conscientious objection clause which has been in the NZR contracts for about a decade.

Listen: Neil Sorensen on the Radio Sport Breakfast

"He's a young man it probably won't be the last mistake the young man makes. I'm 55 and still making mistakes - so long as you learn," Sorensen said.

Sorensen said the union welcomed the challenges of operating in a more diverse society, and said ignorance needed to be overcome.

"There's so much ignorance - it is classic human nature when you don't understand things like religion etc you tend to be negative," he said.

"I understand the vitriol on Facebook, I understand it is part of life. Thirty years ago homosexuality for me was "yuck ... you gay w!@#$%"

"I've learnt over the years to be a lot more open and tolerant."

Sorensen said he was "really proud" of the way sponsors BNZ, AIG, Investec and ASB "have accomodated this".

"It's business as usual for them..they would prefer to have everyone wearing their logos but all of them totally respect his decision.

"Don't forget in their industry those corporates cater for all shapes and sizes."

And Sorensen said Williams was an outstanding character.

"He doesn't abuse alcohol, doesn't do drugs, doesn't beat women, he's just a good bloke," said Sorensen.

"If we had more Sonny Bills in the world, we might have challenges around belief systems in our society but we would be better off with 100 more Sonnys."