The All Blacks are considering doing away with their iconic silver fern at the World Cup and replacing it with a red fern in a symbolic gesture to quake-hit Christchurch.
rugby365
All Blacks manager Darren Shand has announced that the team have received several “great” ideas from the public of ways to honour Christchurch and that all would be considered.
“The team, together with the NZRU, will look to pay tribute to those who lost their lives as well as the wider Christchurch community in the most appropriate way,” Shand told NZPA.
New Zealand Prime Minister John Key and Labour leader Phil Goff have weighed in with their support for a red fern to be used at the rugby showpiece.
“It’s not unusual for the All Blacks to slightly change their uniform to reflect a major event, and the country can see from the memorial service on Friday it’s totally unified behind the people of Christchurch,” Key tod NZPA.
“We want to show their support. We know that they’re missing out on the World Cup which is something that they value dearly, and, frankly, I think the All Blacks thought it’d be a nice touch.”
Mr Goff said it was “a great idea”.
“I think it would be a really lovely gesture for the All Blacks to wear a red fern during the World Cup matches or some of those matches or in a special match that is played to raise funds for Christchurch,” he said.
While a final decision is has not yet been made, World Cup Minister Murray McCully said that the decision is in the hands of the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU).
“I think that there’s a process that the union will want to engage in and I don’t want to cramp their style at this stage,” McCully said.
“I encourage the fact that people are thinking about ways in which we can commemorate what’s happened, and also the fact that Japan is in the frame in some of those suggestions,” he added.