Dan Carter, Richie McCaw and Israel Dagg sport the All Blacks' new kit © Getty Images

Enlarge

Richie McCaw believes the latest incarnation of the All Blacks jersey has stayed true to tradition, but he accepts that some people may not like the jumper.

The Rugby World Cup champions launched their latest kit featuring several innovations in London on Wednesday, and they will play in it for the first time in Saturday's Test against England. The most notable change to what is being labelled "the blackest jersey ever" is the removal of any white. The silver fern, sponsor logos and number will now be silver, a move that may ruffle the feathers of traditionalists after the traditional white collar, absent for more than a decade, had returned ahead of the team's 2011 Rugby World Cup triumph.

McCaw and several players were consulted about the changes, and the captain said at the launch that they were happy. But he could see why some people may have wanted the white to stay, saying "there's always going to be the odd person that doesn't agree but that's just life".

"If you're making it as black as you can, then it's not going to have a white collar," he said. "My first impression when you see it is that it looks like an All Blacks jersey should.

"The tradition's been upheld with that," and All Blacks past and present reiterated in interviews broadcast on a big screen at the launch what the black meant to them. "Black to me is relentless, black has no excuses, it just keeps coming at you," McCaw said, while Ma'a Nonu said "black is like blood, you know, to the All Blacks, it is in all of us." Wayne Shelford said: "Black is evil, black is sombre but at the same time black represents us - the All Blacks. That's our colour.''

Adidas took two years to develop the kit at the company's German base, with its woven carbon fabric in the jersey subtly different for backs and forwards. The backs' jersey will be as tight-fitting as possible to make players hard to tackle while the forwards have some give to allow better binding. The shorts are trimmer and longer, while the compression-style socks are designed to improve blood flow.