Rugby: New Zealand Rugby unveil new All Blacks and Black Ferns jerseys

The new-look New Zealand Rugby kits. Photo / Getty Images

New Zealand Rugby have revealed the jerseys to be worn by the various national teams this year, and they are, indeed, black.

But while the colour remains the same, new imagery will grace the kits in the form of the logos of new sponsors Altrad and Ineos.

Altrad, a French building supplies company which also sponsors the French national team, will see their logo displayed front and centre on the playing jerseys of New Zealand's national rugby teams for at least the next six years. Ineos, who sponsor several teams in various sports around the world, will have their logo displayed on the back of the teams' shorts and on the front of their training jerseys for the same initial timeframe.

The logos will feature on the kits of the All Blacks, Black Ferns, men's and women's sevens teams, Māori All Blacks, New Zealand Under-20s and All Blacks XV.

The Ineos logo will appear on the back of the teams' shorts. Photo: Jo Caird/Jogie&Co

The deals between the two companies and New Zealand Rugby were both confirmed last year, however there was some lobbying against the relationship with Ineos.

UK-based Ineos, which is majority owned by billionaire chief executive Jim Ratcliffe, is an oil, gas and petrochemicals conglomerate, headquartered in London.

According to Greenpeace, Ineos is one of only 20 companies responsible for half of single-use plastic items thrown away globally - and a significant player in the oil and gas sector.

The new-look kits will first be in action in the sevens arena, with the Black Ferns and All Blacks sevens teams set to return to the World Rugby Sevens Series in the coming months.

The All Blacks are expected to return to action in July with a test series against Ireland, while the Black Ferns are expected to take part in a four-team series alongside Australia, USA and Canada ahead of the Women's Rugby World Cup in New Zealand in October.