THE FRUITS OF THE FERN
The silver fern, like te kapa o Aotearoa, has identity
grounded on this whenua.
As the fern develops to radiate a glowing pathway,
so does the athlete.
Ka tū te ponga, ka tū te katoa.
Just as the fern is upstandging, we are all upstanding.
Ko tātou katoa.
The fern is all of us.
The Fern is All of Us
Ka tū tahi
We stand together
Ka tipu tahi
We grow together
Ka rea tahi
We strive together
Ka toa tahi
We succeed together
Na, ka mana te tū
We stand with mana
i te ara tuku iho
Upon the path for all to follow
The fern is all of us
In the beginning
- All forms of life are said to be the descendants of Tane, one of the sons of Rangi, sky father and Papa, earth mother, therefore we are all related.
- From the children of Rangi and Papa, through eons of time, came Toitehuatahi, one of the ancestors of our Maori people. He is the eater of the Ponga and Tii and is referred to as Toi Kairakau, the consumer of wood. His status as Tangatawhenua (people of the land) is significant, and our descent from this ancestor gives us one of our main connections to the land.
- Today our forests are filled with ponga. They cloak us, protect us and heal. They inspire growth and reflect the essence of Aotearoa. The koru, or fern frond symbolises new beginning and life, growth, strength and peace. It is a symbol of our land, and the New Zealand Team.
A national sporting symbol
The silver fern is synonymous with achievement in New Zealand sport.
For more than 100 years, members of The New Zealand Team have been wearing the silver fern, a symbol that represents our national sporting hopes and dreams.
The silver fern became a symbol of bravery, sacrifice and allegiance when the New Zealand Army wore it during the Boer War at the turn of the 20th century. The fern is engraved on the tombstones of those who New Zealanders fell during both World Wars. Our All Blacks Teams also wore it from 1893 as part of their official uniform.
New Zealand’s Olympic history began back in 1908 at the London Games, when the New Zealand athletes were part of an Australasia team. The emblem on their shirts bore a tiny kiwi and silver ferns beneath an emu and kangaroo. While we were yet to stand alone as Aotearoa, for the first time, an Olympic medal was awarded to a New Zealand athlete, Harry Kerr, proudly wearing the silver fern.
The Journey of the Fern Continues
The significance of the fern was growing and its place in the story of the New Zealand Team was about to take another step in its journey.
In 1927, the then Olympic Council of New Zealand determined that ‘the colours of the association shall be black and silver with a fern leaf’.
This was the founding moment of the NZ Olympic masterbrand featuring the silver fern and formal acknowledgement of the significance of the fern to the New Zealand Team.
In 1952, in Oslo, the very first New Zealanders competed at an Olympic Winter Games. In the words of athlete Sir Roy McKenzie the team was ‘given black sweaters and had silver fern patches to sew on…”
At the Games in Rome 1960, the Olympic rings appeared on the formal New Zealand Team blazer for the first time alongside the fern.
In 1978 the silver fern was integrated above the five Olympic rings and first appeared on a New Zealand team uniform at the 1980 Games in Moscow.
This integrated symbol was the beginning of the ‘rings and fern’ masterbrand as it known today.
A Living Fern
The fern as worn by the New Zealand Team to the Olympic and Commonwealth Games has evolved in its design over the years.
From simple and varying renditions from our early athletes to the open frond design in 1978 and a further softening and refinement in the last decade of the 20th century, the fern’s form has evolved to reflect the style of the times.
The fern has accompanied the New Zealand Team across the world. From our first games in London in 1908, to our most recent right next door on the Gold Coast.
While there have been increments of change, it’s place in the hearts of our athletes has remained constant.
Ko tātou katoa.
It is all of us.
Aotearoa New Zealand.
Proudly standing side by side.
Fronds of the fern united in one.
Carrying the aroha and strength of our nation.
Inspiring us to stand on the shoulders of those who’ve been before.
To compete with respect, fairness and mana.
We wear this fern emblazoned on our hearts.
Not just to show the world what we can do.
But to show the world who we are.