All Blacks To Release Special Commemorative Lions Tour Jersey

adidas and New Zealand Rugby are set to release a special All Blacks jersey ahead of this summer’s Lions series.

The new jersey proudly pays homage to the 113-year history between the British & Irish Lions and the All Blacks and features a new one-off designed All Blacks crest, inspired by that worn by the All Blacks in 1930. It features the iconic silver fern All Blacks logo and the years ‘1904’ and ‘2017’ inscribed above and below.

The special All Blacks crest, which you can see above, will only be on the jersey for the three Lions Series Tests. The full jersey will be unveiled on Wednesday.

The All Blacks and the touring Lions first played each other on 13 August 1904 at Athletic Park in Wellington, in what was also the first Test match the All Blacks ever played in New Zealand. On a fine Wellington day in front of 20,000 fans, the All Blacks beat their British rivals 9-3, setting the stage for an impressive rugby legacy.

All Blacks captain Kieran Read said:

“It’s always an honour to pull on the All Blacks jersey but an even greater honour to have a special edition jersey for what will be a pretty cool occasion for all of us. I love the simplicity of the design and the nod to the past in the crest design. This series will be adding to the legacy of our team, and that’s something that is important not just to me, but everyone who has gone before us.”

The special edition jersey will be available to fans in store from Wednesday.