From All Blacks to all in pink?
By TERRY SEFTON
The Press Saturday, 23 June 2007
The All Blacks might have to change their black strip for a pastel pink to truly maximise their chances of winning this year's World Cup.
The All Blacks might have to change their black strip for a pastel pink to truly maximise their chances of winning this year's World Cup. Research coming out of America suggests the black jersey may be the side's biggest handicap heading into the tournament in September.
Thomas Gilovich, professor of psychology at Cornell University in New York, has studied how black sports uniforms affect a referee's mindset when awarding penalties.
His results should be of concern to All Blacks coach Graham Henry.
The study focused on America's National Football League (NFL) and National Hockey League (NHL) and found teams wearing black uniforms were more likely to be penalised than those wearing a lighter colour.
It also found teams wearing black uniforms were ranked near the top of their respective leagues in penalties.
Gilovich says there are two reasons why black uniforms tend to attract more whistle blowing.
"Firstly, it is because of the association between black and evil. What I've found is borderline infringements by members of black-uniformed teams look more aggressive and thus elicit more penalty calls," he says.
Think Richie McCaw.
"Secondly, the association with black leads to a feeling of power, forcefulness, and aggression on the part of players wearing black uniforms.
"Wearers of black uniforms tend to play more aggressively, which increases the chance of them getting penalised."
Think Ali Williams.
Gilovich's research also found an interesting twist.
"On those occasions when a team switched from non-black to black uniforms, the switch was accompanied by an immediate increase in penalties."
This finding may thwart a possible ploy by French rugby jersey designers.
Recent reports have speculated that Nike, the maker of the French rugby jersey, has purposely designed the Tricolores' new jersey a darker than usual blue, which would prove difficult to distinguish from the All Blacks' traditional black jersey now made by Adidas.
This would probably mean the All Blacks would have to wear an alternate coloured jersey if the side was to play France at the World Cup.
The early favourite, in terms of jersey colour, would be one similar to the white one the All Blacks wore during the side's 1987 quarter-final against Scotland at the then Lancaster Park.
This white coloured uniform might not be such a bad thing, especially as France will be wearing the darker of the two playing strips and should, theoretically, get penalised more than the All Blacks.
******They were quite cute last November when they met Stade Francais, but they can't play in pink! Seriously?...
If that ever happens, just thank Max Guazzini for this lovely idea (Max is the Brain of marketing in rugby and he is a living God for French rugby and its being more popular everywhere in France! So merci Max!!!!)
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