I have to admit something that makes me an outcast in my own country - I am not a rabid rugby fan. I'm not even a fan at all to be honest. If anything was capable of making me one though, it'd be the atmosphere surrounding the opening ceremony here in Auckland. I have never seen the city as crowded and festive as it was on Friday night!

I'm hoping one of the English supporters out there can answer a question for me. Has there been any sort of sensible reason given for the change in the English jersey from white to black for this competition? There's been a fair bit of laughing down here in New Zealand about it being some sort of lame mind game or an attempt to garner more local support for the team while they're in New Zealand. I can only assume there is more to it than that though since it doesn't take a lot of foresight to see how that would backfire, and it isn't as if there's a lack of support for the English here anyway.....

The New Zealand media has made something of a joke out of it and then let it blow over a while ago, but I don't recall ever seeing the item from the English point of veiw. Are changes in uniform common at these events? Am I missing something really obvious?