They're so money: All Blacks brand worth soars to more than $250 million after World Cup win

Dan Carter and Richie McCaw show off the Webb Ellis trophy to fans in Christchurch. Winning the cup has seen the All Blacks' worth soar. Photo / Getty Images

A third Rugby World Cup victory has seen the worth of the All Blacks brand soar to more than $250 million and that figure to double within the next 10 years.

Prior to the tournament, specialist brand valuation and strategy consultancy Brand Finance estimated the All Blacks brand to be worth $197 million.

Sunday's commanding World Cup final win over Australia - the All Blacks first World Cup success on foreign soil - has added a further $54 million to that figure, cementing their position as the sport's pre-eminent brand.

Rugby is the world's fastest growing team sport and the RWC is the third most watched sporting event in the world, while the game's profile will be boosted further with Sevens set to feature in next year's Rio Olympics.

Add to that the sport's widely affluent fan base and the 15-man code is increasingly shaping up as an exciting commercial prospect for sponsors and broadcasters alike.

The All Blacks have already established a string of commercial deals with companies as diverse as Air New Zealand, AIG and Bulgari, a lucrative TV rights deal and unrivalled merchandising opportunities.

"New Zealand are world champions and enjoy a historic win rate of 77%, the closest thing to guaranteed success a sponsor of a major sport could hope for," Bryn Anderson, head of Brand Finance's sports marketing, said of the All Blacks' corporate appeal.

"The All Blacks are a sponsor's dream off the field too, renowned for their fairness, good-sportsmanship and disciplined behaviour."

However, Anderson believes the All Blacks and NZRU may fail to fully capitalise financially on their World Cup victory.

"Adidas extended its deal to 2019 while the fees for broadcast and content rights have been agreed with Sky TV until 2020, meaning two key commercial deals cannot be renegotiated for over three years," he said.

"In addition, the NZRFU have in the past taken a conservative approach to establishing new deals, cautious of the sense of ownership that many Kiwis feel for their national team.

More needs to be done, Anderson says, to help raise the All Blacks' profile around the world and maximise the commercial opportunities that their brand presents.

"There is no reason they couldn't establish dozens of global, top-tier partnerships in the same way that football clubs such as Manchester United have done," he added.

"A willingness to expand and segment commercial partnerships will be important. So too will be increasing the visibility of the team outside of major tournaments by staging exhibition games, particularly in the US, or even locating competitive games in key growth regions, just as the NFL now does in the UK.

"Brand Finance's analysis suggests that the All Blacks could command a US$500 million brand within a decade."