All Black Jersey

This black rugby jersey with white collar, lace-up neckline, and number 12 on the back was donated by the family of Australian player Bill McLaughlin, who played against New Zealand in 1936.

Expert assessment by the New Zealand Rugby Museum suggests this jersey likely originates from the 1938 All Blacks tour. The upright silver fern crest on the front and lace-up design closely match those seen in photographs from the third Test of the tour. While official team portraits from 1938 show button-up jerseys, it's believed players also used "spare" lace-up jerseys, potentially repurposed from earlier tours and updated with the fern emblem.

This rare combination of features points to a seldom-seen variation of the iconic All Blacks players uniform.

Detail