New Ireland Alternate Jersey

So following in the foot steps of England's recent faux pas, Ireland have unveiled new black and green alternate kit today.

It can be seen here

As far a style goes, I think it looks pretty nice... but what has possessed them (who ever is responsible) to opt for a black kit? Ireland have a tradition of wearing a white alternative, and even the press release mentions this will be the first time they depart from that tradition for a competitive game.

I'd say the IRFU think they can make more money this way. More people would buy a completely new top than just upgrade the white 1 they already have.

Or they could be thinking about saving on dry cleaning bills.

I think it's actually a nice kit to be honest. Black and green goes well together.

Can't help but remember when England brought our their black kit for the world cup though, and how everyone accused them of trying to the the 'new All Blacks'! We got absolutely ridiculed for that and accused of arrogance!

bluestonevedder wrote:I think it's actually a nice kit to be honest. Black and green goes well together.

Can't help but remember when England brought our their black kit for the world cup though, and how everyone accused them of trying to the the 'new All Blacks'! We got absolutely ridiculed for that and accused of arrogance!

That's my feeling too... It looks great, but I'm expecting a backlash, especially from the English fans who got a lot of stick last year

When I saw the heading I immediately thought (very sarcastically indeed), Ah, they are going to wear Green and gold jumpers.

Ah, I don't think most posters are that vindictive though!

I actually do really like that Ireland kit. The dashes of green in it are quite striking. Socks look great too. Overall, very nice

Anyone thinking of buying it?

Oh dear, another one

Nice enough strip. Could have made the O2 a nice green as an additional point of difference from the black and white.

Why aren't there any canary yellow rip offs?

ebop.

Black is back.

It is the new fashion for the 21st century.

Mike Ross will be pleased- black is very sliming.

When they say Black and green it really is black with loads of white sponsorship and a bit of green.

Nice jersey I think, I'd wear it if someone got it for me, hint hint!

Would have preferred a more Irish colour I think

When's your guys black second strip coming out biltong? You better join the party before it becomes passé

Have all the home unions had a crack at black yet?

ebop wrote:When's your guys black second strip coming out biltong? You better join the party before it becomes passé

Have all the home unions had a crack at black yet?

You'd swear that NZ think they are the only ones allowed to wear black. Its a feicing colour, who cares.

Don't give a monkeys. Just another erosion of tradition I guess. You obviously don't care and I don't really. If we turned out in grass green, I'm sure you guys would at least make some kinda comment about it.

To be honest, the French in 2007 annoyed me, for different reasons. But the home unions in black doesn't, but it is a little curious I have to admit.

France and Samoa both wear blue.
Wales and tonga both wear red.
Australia and the Webb Ellis Trophy both wear gold.

Black is the color of NZ, a sea, a sabbath, two known holes, and many oner things I'm sure. I don't think NZ get to own it so I don't understand the drama around away shirts. We know why teams wear them.

Drama, where? It's a nice black strip with a hint of green and white. I see that strip and I automatically think Ireland. Nothing dramatic about that ranga.

What colour is New Zealands away kit? White you say? SACRILEGE! THAT IS ENGLAND'S COLOUR! FROTH FROTh FROTH! See how ridiculous that sounds? Think on.

Being a bit dramatic there EE.

Black must be the 'in' colour these days.

Ebop - I remember a certain poster who hasn't joined this thread yet pretty much having a nervous breakdown over perfidious Albion stealing 'their' colour. Just putting down a marker early not aimed at anyone in particular.

ebop wrote:Don't give a monkeys. Just another erosion of tradition I guess. You obviously don't care and I don't really. If we turned out in grass green, I'm sure you guys would at least make some kinda comment about it.

To be honest, the French in 2007 annoyed me, for different reasons. But the home unions in black doesn't, but it is a little curious I have to admit.

When Wales had their Welsh Slate (or what ever colour they wanted to call the black/dark dark grey shirt) back around the Henry/Hanson Era (I believe somewhere between 99-07) the shirt sold in huge quantities. I think it may well just be that people are more inclines to wear a dark rugby jersey down the pub, out shopping with the misses etc, than wearing a bright red or green shirt, and therefore the IRFU (and whoever else does it next) can possibly make more money from it.

ebop wrote:When's your guys black second strip coming out biltong? You better join the party before it becomes passé

Have all the home unions had a crack at black yet?

Our alternative strip as always been white mate, perhaps to appease our politicians and show them we embrace transformation we should go black too?

It's a lovely jersey, to be honest I don't care if the All Blacks are upset, they don't own the colour black like.


I'm also pretty sure the game against SA will be the only time it will be worn.

bluestonevedder wrote:I think it's actually a nice kit to be honest. Black and green goes well together.

Can't help but remember when England brought our their black kit for the world cup though, and how everyone accused them of trying to the the 'new All Blacks'! We got absolutely ridiculed for that and accused of arrogance!

Despite the fact that Wales also had a black change kit, and New Zealand have used a white change kit in the past. It was a complete non-story.

thomh wrote:

bluestonevedder wrote:I think it's actually a nice kit to be honest. Black and green goes well together.

Can't help but remember when England brought our their black kit for the world cup though, and how everyone accused them of trying to the the 'new All Blacks'! We got absolutely ridiculed for that and accused of arrogance!

Despite the fact that Wales also had a black change kit, and New Zealand have used a white change kit in the past. It was a complete non-story.

Yeh, but England were still accused of arrogance for it, and ridiculed.

I don't care, I liked England's black kit. I like this Ireland kit. Other countries shouldn't be put off of wearing one particular colour because the best team in the world do.

bluestonevedder wrote:

thomh wrote:

bluestonevedder wrote:I think it's actually a nice kit to be honest. Black and green goes well together.

Can't help but remember when England brought our their black kit for the world cup though, and how everyone accused them of trying to the the 'new All Blacks'! We got absolutely ridiculed for that and accused of arrogance!

Despite the fact that Wales also had a black change kit, and New Zealand have used a white change kit in the past. It was a complete non-story.

Yeh, but England were still accused of arrogance for it, and ridiculed.

I don't care, I liked England's black kit. I like this Ireland kit. Other countries shouldn't be put off of wearing one particular colour because the best team in the world do.

I agree, I just meant that I found the criticism of England for that bizarre.

It's lovely of course (the shirt and the shade - coz I like black) ..and the All Blacks don't have a monopoly on the shade but....................... didn't like when Welsh and English did it. Maybe disrespectful is a little too harsh a word...but in a sense it strikes me as forever trying either to gain a mental edge in using it or trying to psychologically deaden the power of the shade by adopting it for yourself.

Nope. It's All Black 'colours' and in my opinion their national colour and we could find other non-green colours to give us the variety we might seek.

You won't find many colours that aren't associated with a particular team though. New Zealand shouldn't be any different.

thomh... of course as I said, the ABs don't have a monopoly, but we all know why the shade always looks good and possibly gives a bounce to the step of the wearer. So let's not pretend we're all innocent when we all know what the constant issue is - it's a mimic shirt, it isn't just another change of colour shirt.

And it's the mimic aspect I - personally, only personally - am not gone on.

thomh wrote:

bluestonevedder wrote:

thomh wrote:

bluestonevedder wrote:I think it's actually a nice kit to be honest. Black and green goes well together.

Can't help but remember when England brought our their black kit for the world cup though, and how everyone accused them of trying to the the 'new All Blacks'! We got absolutely ridiculed for that and accused of arrogance!

Despite the fact that Wales also had a black change kit, and New Zealand have used a white change kit in the past. It was a complete non-story.

Yeh, but England were still accused of arrogance for it, and ridiculed.

I don't care, I liked England's black kit. I like this Ireland kit. Other countries shouldn't be put off of wearing one particular colour because the best team in the world do.

I agree, I just meant that I found the criticism of England for that bizarre.

Ah, sorry, I didn't mean to come across angry.

It was bizarre criticism. To be honest, the choice in colour is pretty limited (as to what actually looks nice), and considering teams have at least 2 kits, it does mean that some will have overlapping colours and shades.

Talking of the All Blacks, I really liked their grey kit they had in about 2007? Bit different, but very nice.

Has Irish rugby ever had Orange on the kit?

Pretty much no Kiwis care about the alternate strip for a team being black. Unfortunately the media finds the handful of idiots that do have an issue. Being the WC in NZ I thought it was silly of England to do so due to these idiots and the media kicking up a stink but everyone I knew was pretty apathetic about it.

Vedder the silver jersey will never see the light of day again due to it being associated with the darkest day in NZ rugby history. Hope you nabbed one then if you wanted it.

gowales wrote:Has Irish rugby ever had Orange on the kit?

I was going to suggest that as the alternative colour that doesn't get used too much. We could do some nice things with that in combination with a few other paintbrush colours

bluestonevedder wrote:

Talking of the All Blacks, I really liked their grey kit they had in about 2007? Bit different, but very nice.

It was a complete nightmare when they played scotland though.
http://bitly.com/SzVdTp

thomh wrote:

bluestonevedder wrote:

Talking of the All Blacks, I really liked their grey kit they had in about 2007? Bit different, but very nice.

It was a complete nightmare when they played scotland though.
http://bitly.com/SzVdTp

thomh wrote:You won't find many colours that aren't associated with a particular team though. New Zealand shouldn't be any different.

Orange. Ireland won't be accused of ripping off Holland. I'm confused why no nation has picked orange as a second choice.

On TV fans in black merge into the background. Orange shouts out Large.
Plus it's part of the flag of Ireland.

[ed] I just looked at the kit from the OP. That's a black-and-white monochrome picture. Are you sure it's black kit? It could be any deep colour.
But the girls look cute in it.

Nice jersey. Wish they had brought it out prior to the three test series and wore it. Interesting that there has not been much of a hooha in NZ about this. Though I suspect its only a problem when England do it and all the WC commotion was just a load of hot air.

GunsGerms wrote:Nice jersey. Wish they had brought it out prior to the three test series and wore it. Interesting that there has not been much of a hooha in NZ about this. Though I suspect its only a problem when England do it and all the WC commotion was just a load of hot air.

Most of the hot air with England was more aimed at Nike - they'd already (in NZ minds) messed with the French home shirt to make that look closer to black (rumour has it that Nike were not best pleased at losing out to Adidas for the AB's jersey)

If you can't beat them, steal their best pyjamas was the order of the day for Wales in celebration of their 100 year rivalry with NZ.

England tried to gain some mana from the many ex-Kiwis in the RWC squad by giving them the opportunity to wear black.

And now, Ireland have joined the illustrious list of pretenders to the black jersey for their clash with the Springboks.

Should the NH sides focus on their set piece and back line moves instead of believing that the magic is in the jersey?

I'm sure this is old news

Wales beat Australia in 2005 wearing black!

NZ are a weak team, but wearing black gives them special powers.

We love black. Everyone should wear it.

anotherworldofpain what makes you think you Kiwis have dibs on the colour black?

Batman wears black.

beshocked wrote:anotherworldofpain what makes you think you Kiwis have dibs on the colour black?

They have patented the colour with the US Patent Office (along with Apple patenting white). Expect to see billion $ law suits some day soon.

Isn't that a disgraced cycling team?

anotherworldofpain wrote:If you can't beat them, steal their best pyjamas was the order of the day for Wales in celebration of their 100 year rivalry with NZ.

England tried to gain some mana from the many ex-Kiwis in the RWC squad by giving them the opportunity to wear black.

And now, Ireland have joined the illustrious list of pretenders to the black jersey for their clash with the Springboks.

Should the NH sides focus on their set piece and back line moves instead of believing that the magic is in the jersey?

You would have to live a very sad life to care about something as stupid as the colour of a jersey.

I've seen Wales wear all sorts of colours over the years (and I'm only 35!). We've had red, black, white with thin green and red bits, yellow, navy (or was that just training?), green, light grey. Probably more. However, it is when we wear black that gets criticism for being disrespectful. Bizarre.

Just as a little factoid, if true: fokelore has it that Wales used to play in green but one day there was a problem with the kits before an international. They had to use the red kits of Llanelli and the colour just stuck. Truth or myth? It's a bit like the Father Christmas and coca cola story I guess!

Why isn't the Irish away jersey orange? The third colour in the tricolour always seems to be ignored.

Because the Netherlands would be disrespected!

Biltong wrote:Batman wears black.

Have we hit upon his true identity?

Spoiler:

On the kit... I don't really like it, I would much rather we play in white as per usual. I don't know why New Zealand are being mentioned, it looks completely different. This is PROBABLY the only time we will ever wear this kit.

Orange kits might sell well northwards of Monaghan