New Maori All Blacks jersey launches honouring legacy and strength

New Zealand Rugby (NZR) and adidas are proud to announce the release of the newest Māori All Blacks jersey Te Tauihu Matua, a powerful symbol of whakapapa, connection, and identity. 

The jersey, designed by Ngāti Tūwharetoa artist Kahurangi Falaoa replaces the previous design by Dave Burke (Ngāi Tahu) and Māori All Blacks Kaumātua, Luke Crawford (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Porou and Ngāti Toa). The previous jersey was farewelled with the help of Ngāti Toa and Te Āti Awa tohunga.

The mauri of the new jersey has been awoken with karakia in Wellington and will be worn for the first time by the Māori All Blacks against the Japan XV on 28 June in Tokyo. Players will share what the jersey means to them at the official Māori All Blacks squad announcement in Auckland later today and throughout their campaign against the Japan XV and Scotland in Whangārei on 5 July. 

Crafted with deep cultural significance, the jersey incorporates four key design elements:

1.    Manaia – A manaia is seen as a kaitiaki, a guardian who can cross between the two realms of the living and the dead. They watch over us. The two manaia represent the two atua (God) Tū, God of war and humanity and Rongo, God of peace. These atua remind us that a player has to be balanced. The kōwhaiwhai pattern, Pūhoro, which are seen inside the manaia, represent speed and agility.

2.    Waka taua – This is the front view of a waka taua, a traditional Māori war canoe whose purpose was to transport warriors along the highway of rivers to get closer to their destination of battle. To paddle these waka, the warriors needed to be paddling in unison. To be a great team, they need to be of one heartbeat. Everyone put their paddles in the water at the same time and pulls them out at the same time, every stroke.

3.    Tētēkura – The figurehead of the waka. This figure sits just above the water and pierces through the waves of the ocean and currents of the rivers, breaking the water for the waka to follow. The Tētēkura faces the many challenges of rivers and oceans setting an example for those that follow. Tētēkura is also likened a leader. To reference the well-known Māori proverb “mate atu he tētēkura, ara mai he tētēkura". When one leader falls, another rises in their place. For now, the players are the custodians of the kākahu (Māori All Blacks jersey), and all actions in the jersey are reflections of the past, present and future. 

4.    Te Ara Poutama - This pattern represents the path that Tāne took when he ascended to the heavens to retrieve the baskets of knowledge for mankind to live in te ao mārama, the world of light. Te Ara Poutama in this sense, represents the players striving for excellence - for their whānau, Hapū and Iwi. The pattern represents the hard work and sacrifices a player has undertaken to make the team.

Kahurangi Falaoa, the artist of this taonga, has aptly named the jersey Te Tauihu Matua.

“This is inspired by the figurehead that stands above the Tētēkura and is in reference to a well-known saying by Api Mahuika about standing at the bow of your canoe to feel the spray of the future biting at your face, which speaks to leadership,” said Falaoa. “Matua as a stative however, also means ‘main, primary, chief’. Together, Te Tauihu Matua becomes The Chiefly Bow. To stand with courage and face the challenges that lay ahead,” he said.

“This jersey is more than just something the players wear – it’s a living story. Each element carries the voice of our ancestors and the stories of our past, present and future. It’s an honour to get to design this jersey, and I can’t wait to see it worn with pride by the players in Japan and in Northland.”

adidas, the official apparel partner of New Zealand Rugby, worked closely with the designer to bring this vision to life, and respect the role they play as the stewards of the jersey. Never owned, merely protected and passed along to the next generation – it is the sense of guardianship that pushes adidas designers to bring the best of the brand, collaborators and technologies to the jersey under its care, with a commitment to providing New Zealand Rugby with first class performance products. 

“We’re incredibly proud to have played a part in creating a jersey that holds such deep meaning,” said Kerryn Foster from adidas.  “We feel privileged to have worked with the designer of this year’s Māori All Blacks jersey - Te Ao Māori designer Kahurangi - to showcase the team and the Te Ao Māori culture.”

To learn more about the story behind the jersey and to see an interview with the designer Kahurangi please visit here.