Malcolm Boyle: All Blacks brand brings in the Money

Richie McCaw's bloodied Silver Fern against the Boks. Photo / Getty Images

Opinion

It's that time of year when the All Blacks brand goes on show as one of the world's most recognisable sporting trademarks. As much as the brand is revered in New Zealand, it also has huge mana in international markets - in some of which the silver fern icon is more popular than the team itself.

I only have to recall some of my time spent in Asia to paint a picture of the power of the fern. Living in Singapore, and working for an international corporate giant, I was tasked with taking a group of Asian-based journalists on a junket to watch the All Blacks play the Wallabies in Sydney.

Accompanying me was a splendid young Indian man in awe of the All Blacks, though he had never seen them play live or even appear in person.

This lad's father had wishfully named his son Money, in the hope that it would bring lifelong prosperity to the young man.

Even by rugbyhead and corporate giant standards, it was a lavish weekend.

As part of the hospitality, I purchased replica All Black jerseys from a downmarket Sydney store for the group.

We imbibed well before the game and long after it, mimicking the great Australian habit of finding a footpath or road adjacent to the stadium in which to launch an attack on our thirst which had built as the afternoon slipped into evening.

Money was in his element as he cheered on the ABs to another victory. After the game as we repaired to the roadside, I was talking to my young offsider when I noticed him wincing.

"What's wrong?" I asked him. "Nothing, nothing," he quickly replied. I wasn't to be put off as I could see he was in some pain.

I leaned over and pulled up his replica All Black jersey. Only then did I realise what I had burdened him with.

The replica jersey was a nasty imitation and certainly not tailored to be worn over a bare chest. In fact, the silver fern emblem was stitched with a razor-like thread which had been slicing Money's left nipple for hours and blood was now coursing down his front.

It wasn't a pretty sight but he was undaunted and certainly not about to take off the coveted shirt nor cut short the celebrations. Indeed Money was convinced that all All Blacks must wear this cut-throat uniform as a test of commitment surpassing pain and symbolic of the bravery which goes with being an elite rugby player in New Zealand.

He proudly wore the jersey many times after and to the best of my knowledge did nothing to blunt the razor-like thread.

For Money, the black jersey and silver fern were, and still are, the Mercedes of the sporting world - not quite a Rolls Royce but a power, prestige brand still prepared to roll up its sleeves and get a little dirty on the track.

Malcolm Boyle is a former owner of the Warriors, manager of the rugby league All Golds, a former senior club rugby player, journalist and sports marketing expert.