New adidas ball for All Blacks
The All Blacks will use a new adidas ball this season starting with next week’s Iveco Series Test against France at Eden Park.
Under a new five-year contract that extends the relationship between adidas and the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU), the adidas match ball will be used at home by the All Blacks and New Zealand’s other national teams including the Black Ferns, New Zealand Maori and age-grade sides. The adidas ball will also be used in the Air New Zealand Cup and the AA Rewards Heartland Championship.
“adidas is a world-leader in the development of sports equipment,†said adidas New Zealand Marketing Manager Craig Waugh, “and we are very excited about the new ball. It is the result of 18 months of research and development by adidas, members of the All Blacks and the NZRU.â€Â
All Blacks Skills Coach Mick Byrne said testing of the new ball had been rigorous as he and All Blacks players tried a series of protoypes: “We asked adidas to develop a ball that would be very consistent and very accurate and they’ve delivered. The new ball is well-suited to the demands of Test rugby thanks to a lot of hard work by the adidas research and development team.â€Â
The new ball design involved changing the placement of the valve and altering panel design to provide more consistent flight and distance.
adidas, which has supplied balls to the football World Cup for more than 35 years, previously provided the NZRU with rugby balls from 2000 to 2002. Match balls for the Rebel Sport Super 14 and the NZI Wellington Sevens are supplied under separate agreements.
Under a new five-year contract that extends the relationship between adidas and the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU), the adidas match ball will be used at home by the All Blacks and New Zealand’s other national teams including the Black Ferns, New Zealand Maori and age-grade sides. The adidas ball will also be used in the Air New Zealand Cup and the AA Rewards Heartland Championship.
“adidas is a world-leader in the development of sports equipment,†said adidas New Zealand Marketing Manager Craig Waugh, “and we are very excited about the new ball. It is the result of 18 months of research and development by adidas, members of the All Blacks and the NZRU.â€Â
All Blacks Skills Coach Mick Byrne said testing of the new ball had been rigorous as he and All Blacks players tried a series of protoypes: “We asked adidas to develop a ball that would be very consistent and very accurate and they’ve delivered. The new ball is well-suited to the demands of Test rugby thanks to a lot of hard work by the adidas research and development team.â€Â
The new ball design involved changing the placement of the valve and altering panel design to provide more consistent flight and distance.
adidas, which has supplied balls to the football World Cup for more than 35 years, previously provided the NZRU with rugby balls from 2000 to 2002. Match balls for the Rebel Sport Super 14 and the NZI Wellington Sevens are supplied under separate agreements.