LONDON (Reuters) - New Zealand's all-black strip is one of the world's famous sporting brands. The pre-match haka, an updated version of the native Maori war dance, is an inspired piece of theatrics.

Yet four days before the sixth World Cup opens in Paris every New Zealander is painfully aware the image now outshines the reality.

Since winning the inaugural World Cup in 1987, New Zealand have started bookmakers' favourites at the four subsequent tournaments. Their best finish has been a cruel extra-time exit against home side South Africa in the 1995 final.

South Africa were the most successful international side for the first two thirds of the 20th century before world-wide revulsion at their apartheid (racial separation) policies led to an international sporting boycott.

That abhorrence was not shared by an influential section of New Zealand society who believed South Africa's reluctant agreement to allow players of Polynesian descent to tour the white-ruled republic was a sufficient concession.

A black African boycott of the 1976 Montreal Olympics in protest at a New Zealand tour of South Africa in the same year followed. Five years later a Springbok tour of New Zealand was disrupted by violent clashes between pro and anti-tour factions.

An unofficial tour of South Africa in 1986 by nearly the entire All Blacks side, the so-called Cavaliers, was a nadir for New Zealand rugby and the popularity of the sport at home plummeted.

Injury to long-standing captain Andy Dalton was the unexpected catalyst for a new era in 1987. Dalton had been captain in 1981 and had led the Cavaliers in South Africa. His replacement was the deceptively fresh-faced scrumhalf David Kirk, who had refused to tour South Africa.

Kirk was tough. He needed to be because the divisions over the South Africa issue were reflected in the team who went unbeaten in the World Cup and won back the affection of the New Zealand public.

The divisions were also present in Kirk's Auckland provincial team, who formed the core of the All Blacks. Kirk was asked if he could envisage a team reunion in 20 years' time.

"I wouldn't have a beer with some of them next Thursday night, let alone in 20 years' time," he responded.

Whatever their personal feelings, Kirk's team devoted themselves to the greater good and the captain was outstanding in the final, scoring a try in the 29-9 win over France.

Not everybody was impressed. Kirk was asked at the post-match news conference by an English journalist if the match had been worthy of a World Cup final.

"You really make me laugh," Kirk replied, showing no signs of mirth. "That was a Test match out there."

Kirk, who retired from rugby after the Cup to take up a Rhodes scholarship, is still the only All Blacks captain to hold the William Webb Ellis trophy. In a column in the Sunday Telegraph last weekend he gave a thoughtful analysis of New Zealand's prospects before identifying the key factor his team showed in abundance.

"Individuals and team need to have a strong belief in their superiority," he wrote. "Teams with the self-belief necessary to win a World Cup genuinely believe they will. All they need is the ball and a plan."