Rugby World Cup: Solving headphone mystery

Sonny Bill Williams before the match v Tonga. Photo / Getty Images

The great All Blacks headphones mystery has been solved - at least partly.

Pictures of some of the All Black players with tape covering the brand names on their headphones emerged last week.

The Herald understands the All Blacks have been asked by World Rugby, the game's governing body, to cover over the brand names to meet the tournament's participation agreement.

A World Rugby spokesperson said in a statement that it does not allow non-official brands inside match venues.

"And whilst we take a common sense approach on personal items such as headphones ... we ask for the brand to be covered where worn in the venue environment."

However, a spokeswoman for Toshiba told the Herald that their sponsorship deal with the 2015 Rugby World Cup has no influence on the All Black team covering branding on their headphones.

She said there is nothing in the deal that restricts players from using other electronic brands.

Following England's loss to Australia in Pool A, which knocked the hosts out of the World Cup, it emerged that some of the English players were unhappy with sponsorship restrictions on their choice of headphones.

The team, sponsored by Samsung, were reportedly told they could only wear headphones made by that brand when travelling to games.