Test Day Babies Receive All Black Support

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Media release
Tuesday 10 June 2008
For Immediate Release

TEST DAY BABIES RECEIVE ALL BLACK SUPPORT

All Blacks Greg Somerville and Leon MacDonald presented newborn, Baby Silvestri- Astrop with his very first adidas All Blacks jersey at the maternity wing of Waitemata Health’s North Shore Hospital, Auckland yesterday, as part of a campaign by All Black sponsor adidas.

Baby Silvestri-Astrop, born last Saturday 7 June, the day of the All Black vs Ireland test, was the first baby to receive his jersey as part of adidas ‘Birthright’ campaign, which aims to provide every baby born on home-match test days between now and the end of the Philips Tri-Nations series with their own tiny version of the famous black jersey.

adidas New Zealand Marketing Manager John Beckett says the All Black jersey is a symbol of opportunity, achievement and success and seeing the jersey on a brand new life, is a reminder that every child born is a superstar of the future.

“The All Black jersey belongs to the team – a family. And providing the All Black jersey to a newborn signifies that the family, community and country as a whole are all part of a team that can help give children the best start in life.

“Every child deserves to have a winning future - the All Black jersey is a wonderful example of how that can be realised.”

“The Birthright campaign is part of a wider campaign by adidas - ‘This is not a Jersey’ aimed at supporting the All Blacks throughout their 2008 test season.

‘This is Not a Jersey’ campaign will be led by an All Blacks ‘mantra’:

THIS IS NOT A JERSEY. THIS IS A PORTAL THROUGH WHICH MEN PASS. THIS IS NOT MATERIAL. THIS IS FABRIC THAT BINDS US TOGETHER. THIS IS NOT A SOUVENIR. THIS IS A REMINDER OF ALL WHO HAVE WORN IT BEFORE US. THIS IS NOT BLACK. THIS IS THE ABSENCE OF FEAR. THIS IS NOT A UNIFORM. THIS IS A COUNTRY UNIFIED. THIS IS NOT A JERSEY ONLY 22 MEN WEAR. THIS IS A JERSEY FITTED FOR FOUR MILLION PEOPLE. THIS IS VICTORY AND LOSS, BUT WILL NOT BE DEFEATED.

THIS IS EVERYTHING BUT A “JERSEY”.

John Beckett explains: “This year we want to remind people not what the All Blacks jersey is, but what it means to us, the New Zealand public.”

Any child born on the day of an All Black home test match between 7 June and 13 September 2008 and who is registered on the national birth registry will be eligible for their All Black gift. Parents can register their baby by visiting www.thisisnotajersey.com

ENDS

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