So we have a sponsor on the All Black jersey now. It’s actually remarkable that we’ve held out this long without but in true NZRFU / Eden Park hot dog style, now we’ve decided to cash in, we’ve done it in a shamelessly revenue-grabbing / shit on tradition manner. I’m sure (actually I have no idea) that AIG are a fine multinational insurance conglomerate, but do they belong on what’s arguably little old New Zealand’s national symbol? ‘No’ is the answer you’re looking for.
In fairness, I’m struggling to think of a sponsor the NZ ‘sporting’ ‘public’ would have been more accepting of. In my sportreview.net.nz fantasy land (a magical place where work never gets in the way of sitting around watching sport and sleeping, and couches are made of pies), the All Blacks run out with the Four Square guy on their chests, and not a fucked up Dick Frizzell one either. Somehow though, I doubt that friendly grocer could match AIG’s financial muscle.
Hadyn commissioned the below poorly photoshopped contribution to his black jersey rant at Public Address.
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Good stuff Richard but do you honestly not know anything about AIG? Try another acronym – GFC. AIG were the recipient of one of the largest bailouts in history a US$182 billion loan (only repaid in September) & the US Federal Treasury still owns 15%. It’s a great deal for AIG (rebranded as Chartis after the GFC because some of AIG’s US staff were attacked by furious US taxpayers), but a morally poor one by NZRU.
The line from Tew about “you ungrateful little fuckers” nicely sums up how the NZRU feels about us ever questioning its munificence .