All Blacks show support for LGBTI rights with new inclusive uniform design
New Zealand's All Blacks and Black Ferns rugby teams revealed an updated jersey design as part of the #DiversityIsStrength campaign.
The sports world is known for being unkind to those who are different. In many cases, players are still discriminated against on the grounds of ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation.
Leaders in the sports world have been willing to come to the table with solutions to this problem, but there is still much work to be done.
At the forefront of the latest efforts to make sports inclusive is New Zealand Rugby (NZR). In a move that turns talk of solutions into tangible results, the NZR partnered with sponsors AIG to create the #DiversityIsStrength campaign video.
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In the short clip, the All Blacks and the Black Ferns are seen suiting up to play a game at Japan's Osaka Stadium. A voiceover speaks about the power of strength in unity, and builds to a call to action: rugby fans must stand together to fight discrimination against the LGBTI community.
The rainbow, the recognised symbol for all things relating to LGBTI rights, is incorporated into the players' uniforms.
The campaign was released to coincide with Japan's Tokyo Pride week.
While this new jersey will not replace the official match jerseys worn by the team, the visual does give weight to the saying "wear your heart on your sleeve", as it puts the values of the players and of NZR at large on bold display.