New Wallabies jersey, kind of …
Roar Guru
By Bay35Pablo, 26 Jan 2010 Bay35Pablo is a Roar Guru
- Tagged:
- KooGa, Rugby Union, wallabies, wallabies jersey
Adam Ashley-Cooper models the new Wallabies jersey designed by Kooga - Image from Rugby.com.au
The new Wallabies jersey by Kooga was announced with all the usual fanfare of a well drilled media unit yesterday. Indestructible, increases performance by 4%, chamois on the shorts to allow wiping your hands, padded socks, ability to leap tall buildings in a single bound, and more gadgets than Rodney Dangerfield’s golf bag in Caddyshack.
But the important question for fans is – how does it look? With every new jersey announcement there is the fear amongst fans that it will be a repeat of “that” jersey. The 1997 Reebok technicolour yawn, which is generally agreed to be one of the worst, if not the worst, Australian sporting jersey ever to be seen.
The new Wallabies jersey is very … gold (much like the new Queensland Reds jersey is very … red). With a little green piping. And no collar (although these have been disappearing in recent years as a tackle grab point).
So apart from the collar, there is very little bottle green amongst all that canary yellow, sorry, Australian gold my friends. The shorts and socks provide the real green.
So ultimately, when I look at the new jersey I feel like I am looking at the Socceroos jersey (the sponsor on the front is even the same!).
Now I love the Socceroos jersey, but on the Socceroos. The Wallabies have always been the same colours, but their own identity via the jersey.
It may just be that technology means all the sports kit is starting to look the same, but I feel something is lacking. Perhaps it will grow on me like the piped green sleeves circa 2003 did (but never the Waratahs version!).
It is worth noting that when I looked at the new season jerseys for the NSW Waratahs, which are supplied by Canterbury, the lightweight playing jersey is very similar in having little to no collar. However, they are still stocking a heavy cotton collared jersey in the more traditional look.
The tendency has been that fans wear the shirt of their team, but the way things are heading are the fans of tomorrow going to prefer to wear the jerseys of their heroes from the past rather than the present? Anyone got a 1984 Adidas “Classic” Wallabies jersey I can buy? XXL?
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IronAwe said | January 26th 2010 @ 9:54am | Report comment
Mate I like the new jersey, my favoutire wallabies jersey has always been the pure gold jersey of Simon Poidevans era, infact I even have Simons actual jersey he wore in the Hong Kong sevens. Never been a fan of throwing white or green into it. So this in my mind is a step forward, and I will definitely be buying one.
sheek said | January 26th 2010 @ 6:36pm | Report comment
“My favourite Wallabies jersey has always been the pure gold jersey of the Simon Poidevin era”.
Considering Poidevin’s career ran from 1980 (the green Adidas stripes down the shoulder/arm & green/gold hooped socks) to 1991 (plain gold jersey with green collar), I’m assuming you’re referring to the latter.
In that case, more power to you….. !
IronAwe said | January 26th 2010 @ 11:48pm | Report comment
That is the exact one.
Travis said | January 26th 2010 @ 10:39am | Report comment
The problem with the yellow jersey (it’s not gold) is that it just looks crap when you are wearing it anywhere but at a Wallabies or Socceroos game. The Aussie one day cricket team has thankfully changed to green, but I hear that was just done to make the sponsor’s logo stand out more.
The Kangaroos have kept the most traditional classic design, and it holds up ok on the streets for everyday wear like a club jersey, but even it in recent years has been tarnished by a beer company’s logo.
Overall though, I just think yellow and men combination for fans just doesn’t look good except at a game. The Wallabies should have a much better gold, but not a sickly baby poo gold.
Australia should have better colours than green and gold — they suck. Look at today Australia Day where everyone is wearing red, white and blue gear and not green and gold.
Rusty said | January 27th 2010 @ 10:21am | Report comment
Got to say – I think the cricket team changing the one day strip to green is farcical. Australia has always worn yellow/gold and now they start turning out in the green gear when the opposition also wears green? Sort of reminds me of the ever darkening blue on the French rugby jersey
Sam el Perro said | January 26th 2010 @ 11:09am | Report comment
I like it. It’s gold, not mustard. It doesn’t have the Canterbury “bra”. Good work Kooga! Futuristic, but traditional.
rugbyfuture said | January 26th 2010 @ 11:10am | Report comment
i want a green southern cross and fed star somewhere, none of this reflective pattern southern cross on the belly please, and i also agree, it should be more gold and have a collar, everyone still wears the 2003 jerseys where i go
mattamkII said | January 26th 2010 @ 11:12am | Report comment
Travis “you can only wear it to game”…..
Now I am no fashion police but why would you want to wear it to anything other than a game, or a pub to watch the game….or to the shop on a cold morning….what are you? Welsh or something? “going out with the Mrs tonight, better get out me best jersey”
But yeah, I am all for as much yellow (gold) as we can get.
PS. I play in the front row and with the new fabrics I find it really hard to get a decent bind on the hooker.
But I get the collarless thing, in a recent game I stopped a certain try by making a lunge at a bloke and getting hold of the lower part of the button V on the front of his old skool CCC jersey. If he had a modern kit on he would have scored.
rugbyfuture said | January 26th 2010 @ 11:31am | Report comment
I only wear jerseys around town, so there you go (although they’re all obscure national or club jerseys [finland, ukraine etc]) so thats where you can wear a jersey, EVERYWHERE!
Sin-ick said | January 27th 2010 @ 12:24pm | Report comment
Here, here…..
macavity said | January 26th 2010 @ 11:30am | Report comment
love it!
DaniE said | January 26th 2010 @ 11:36am | Report comment
Love this comment matta: “going out with the Mrs tonight, better get out me best jersey”. I can’t stand it though when ‘fashion pundits’ get all strung up about yellow not being a fashion colour… I don’t give a crap about that when it comes to sporting teams and national jerseys! So long as it’s a nice yellow of course
It’s not a bad jersey, but yeah I thought they were talking about the Socceroos when they showed it on TV this morning. I find the whole extra gadget business a bit hilarious – but maybe the Wallabies need the extra help? Nothing like a bit of chamois for those sweaty palms…
ThelmaWrites said | January 27th 2010 @ 12:10am | Report comment
I still have the mainly-gold jacket and jogging pants my kids gave me in the early 1990′s. I would wear the jacket to work despite the color-clash with the rest of the wardrobe whenever I was feeling down in the dumps and needed cheering up. Like going out to lunch from St Vinnies – the security man (an islander) greeted me with “Up the Wallabies! I still have the outfit although I’ve outgrown it. Don’t think I’ll part with it.
mattamkII said | January 26th 2010 @ 11:36am | Report comment
RF…I know what you mean and I was being at tad funny.
Macavity, you must have noticed too..Welsh blokes own nothing other than Rugby Jerseys.
Corvus said | January 26th 2010 @ 11:53am | Report comment
The green and gold is meant to reflect the colour of the wattle so in this regard it’s is more wattle yellow than gold. Nothing wrong with that in my opinion. Looks good. Might even spring a few pineapples for one.
ren said | January 26th 2010 @ 12:06pm | Report comment
Now I love the Socceroos jersey, but on the Socceroos. The Wallabies have always been the same colours, but their own identity via the jersey.
i think you will find the socceroos jersey has undergone far more changes, and more radical ones at that, then the wallabies. If anything the socceroos jersey has morphed into a wallabied style jumper.