Senior AIG director pushing for logo on All Black Jersey - Thian
With the NZRU mum about its potential new sponsor, the sportswriter behind the story fills in more details for NBR. UPDATED.
UPDATE July 7: The Rugby Union might be mum about reports AIG is taking an All Black sponsorship, including a logo on the front of the team's jersey.
But independent sports writer Jed Thian is standing firmly by his story, and that it is not based on idle banter or rumour.
"I would like to make it clear that I received this information during my conversation with a senior director of AIG," Mr Thian told NBR ONLINE last night.
The comments were made at a Christina Noble Children's Foundation event on June 6 in Hong Kong, Mr Thian said.
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Room for two on All Blacks jersey? Tew talks around AIG rumour
July 6: NZRU chief executive Steve Tew is refusing to confirm or deny a rumour that AIG is being lined up as a new All Black sponsor – complete with a logo front-and-centre on the team's hallowed jersey.
"As is normal for our organisation, we are discussing opportunities with a number of potential sponsors across a range of categories," Mr Tew said in a statement to NBR ONLINE.
"Like any commercial organisation, we are not able to discuss any of those details until both parties have reached agreement.
"But let's be clear, adidas is our principal partner and that contract extends to 2019 and underpins rugby in this country."
AIG (American International Group) sponsored English Premiere League team Manchester United from 2006 and 2009 in a deal reportedly worth £19 million ($NZ37 million) a year.
The Man United deal ended as the insurer was crunched by the global financial crisis.
The controversy began on Thursday when Alternative Rugby Commentary's Jed Thian said on Radio NZ that one of AIG's Asia Pacific executives had told him the NZRU was considering the AIG logo for a strip on the front of the All Blacks jersey.
Chris Keall
Sat, 07 Jul 2012
Sat, 07 Jul 2012
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Senior AIG director pushing for logo on All Black Jersey - Thian
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