Reni Maitua during the NRL Round 10, Penrith Panthers v Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks match at Penrith Stadium, Saturday, May 16, 2009. (AAP Image/Action Photographics, Renne McKay)
It’s not surprising that clubs are becoming more and more difficult to recognise. Even Ray Warren and Phil Gould were dumbfounded by the predominantly white-with-black-stripes strip being worn by Penrith against Parramatta on Friday night, which differed from the ‘official’ home and away strips of the club.
Both commentators struggled to explain the reason for this (not to mention that this jersey was greatly similar to the new Broncos away strip used in the second Friday night game).
Now, I have nothing against the ideology behind these strips.
I think it’s great that NRL clubs show their support for women and their fight against breast cancer, as well as celebrate the role of indigenous Australians in our game. There,s also a great sense of nostalgia one can gain from watching their team take the field in a heritage jersey.
But it’s becoming harder and harder to find a club that wears the same jersey from one game to the next.
Now, before you start thinking I’m just some whinging old fart that refuses to accept that times are-a-changing (I’m only 23′ by the way), there are several reasons why the merry-go-round of jerseys has negative affects on the game.
1. Identity: it’s harder for fans to support a team when they play in a different strip every week. A team’s jersey is a symbol of everything that team stands for. Changing it every week cheapens this identity and makes it harder for fans to show their support.
2. Pride: I’d love to hear a Panthers player say: “When I was a kid, I always wanted to grow up and wear the brown and white jersey. Then it was the black, red, white and yellow; then it was pink; but now it’s the teal.” Players and fans alike take pride in their teams’ jersey and this is important.
3. Jersey sales: The idea behind flooding the jersey market is that fans will always want to buy the latest jersey and this will translate into increased sales. However, these cashed-up, die-hard fans make up only a small number of the NRL community and instead fans are discouraged from forking out $159.99 on the grounds of, “Oh, the jerseys only going to be change next week anyway…”
How do I know this? I manage a sports store. It’s my job to know this! I’m seeing more and more customers turned off by a perceived ‘cheapening’ of team colours.
When I was a kid falling in love with league, every team had a home and away jersey, and this was usually just the team’s colours reversed when playing a team with similar colours. After several years, a team may have updated its jersey, while still sticking to traditional colours.
And this would generate excitement amongst fans.
There are, of course, repeat offenders: Penrith, Brisbane, Warriors and Melbourne have played in several wild and whacky combos over the last ten years or so. Other teams have shown a bit more stability: Dragons, Rabbitohs, Eels and Raiders are some obvious examples.
However it doesn’t just end with jerseys.
The Bulldogs have had more home grounds in their existence than spectators to fill them, and now they share ANZ stadium with Souths (which isn’t even in their area). Games are being taken away to other grounds, such as Wellington, the Sydney Football Stadium, Adelaide or Gosford (which will soon be exclusively for the Bears if we have our way).
And how many teams have had half their players calling themselves ‘co-captain’?
It’s imperative for the game to evolve to survive, but does it have to come at the expense of the clubs’ traditions and identity?
It’s possible for the game to evolve while still clinging onto the things we know and love. Is it too hard for clubs to keep the same home and away strips year in year out’ which actually reflect club colours?
There could still be opportunity to wear heritage jerseys or women-in-league jerseys without suffering this loss of identity. Am I the only one that would like to see a bit of tradition maintained when watching teams take the park each week?
Alan Hanbridge
Guest
I agree with Epiquin, 100%. Each team having a dozen (at least) jumpers pisses me right off. Early in the season the tigers were playing the knights. The knights were wearing what looked like tiger jumpers and I can't remember what the tigers were wearing.
Dags
Guest
Stop this crap. Manly tonight look like Parra and the Brocns look like fn Manly.. leave the teams colours alone. Tradition is more important than TV ratings. Its our game so stop the bastardising of our clubs colours.
Jerry
Guest
They currently only have the adidas logo. Previously, they did allow a jersey sponsor (Steinlager) to have a small logo on the shorts and on the right breast (the Canterbury logo was in the middle of the jersey). But the Adidas sponsorship agreement is worth more than the Steinlager & Canterbury sponsorships combined and a part of that agreement is that no other sponsorship logos are on the uniform.
allblackfan
Guest
I'll admit I'm biased but I love the way the NZRFU treats the All Black jersey. Jersey advertising is confined to a small space on the right chest with (I think) one shorts sponsor. That's it! If the NZRFU was to announce an advertising logo was going across the stomach/chest area (like the WalIabies, English and other teams do), it would create an almighty stink and quite possibly involve a royal commission of inquiry!! I know adidas changes its NZ Super jerseys every year due to limited sales in such a small market like NZ but that didn't stop them signing an 11-year extension to their NZ rugby sponsorship!!
chris
Guest
I think the skintight Rugby jerseys of both codes are a joke and they put alot of the older ex players off buying them as they show your beer belly.Loved the 1980's/1900's tops but i hate this round neck Soccer/Cycling type tops.The NFL havent changed the style and design of there tops so i don't think Rugby League and Union should. Bring back the v neck type tops.
pennypanther
Roar Rookie
I am a Panthers fan and I have absolutely no Idea what our colours are, something like black, teal and rust, who knows! I always get embarrassed when I hear someone say 'what are your colours' or when I hear that Cyndi Lauper True Colours song! I just cannot accept teal and rust as my teams colours and for this reason it is why I refuse to buy a jersey. But our heritage jersey this year is an absolute cracker and I am hoping that we adopt this one full time (like a lot of other people), similar to what the Sharkies did a few years ago. I guarantee that this jersey will sell out all other jerseys from the last ten years hands down! It has even got our old logo on it! Happy days! Something which I desperately want back! If I had a choice, I would want our colours to be Black, Brown and White. Black for the Panther and Brown and White for our Heritage! No more bloody rust and teal!
Australian Football
Roar Guru
What obvious Jack? You support Hansonism?
Jack
Guest
Kind of pointing out the obvious don't you think?
Australian Football
Roar Guru
Well what did you expect Jack when you said I brought politics into the debate. We are a Multicultural country that is not political Jack that is fact..
Emma
Guest
As a panthers fan, I don't like the changing jerseys either, but the NRL forced panthers to bring this new one into production early ( it was due for may vs. titans) as there was too big a clash between either black or teal and parramatta's blue. There was a major clash with titans last year, and the NRL originally agreed to the teal strip, but now they are telling panthers that they have to where white against all dark blue teams ( most of panthers away games this year). So annoying yes, but this time, not Penrith's fault
OneJayBee
Roar Rookie
Jeff Just showing my age but when the late Don Lane was heavily involved with Souths (early 80s?) they pushed the '14th' man concept (this was pre interchange) with 14 on supporters jerseys (I think). Ironically it also coincided with the red green and WHITE incarnation of their jersey. They certainly pushed the idea of supporters as the 14th man (and I see one of the Saafaa S15 teams talks about the 23rd man with a sign on the pitch..... And following my earlier post - no one has answered my question - what ARE Penriths official colours now? (or should the question be what colours aren't in their repertoire??)
Tim
Guest
Spurs changed their badge in 2005/6.
Jack
Guest
Beautiful line? That's debatable. Interesting though how you jump to the conclusion of Hansonism.
MyLeftFoot
Roar Guru
I think, once again, we can track this particular malaise back to Super League. For instance, Canberra went from having a very readily identifiable jumper, very popular with its fans, to a very generic monstrosity, and only in recent years have they been able to get back to the original look (or something similar)
MyLeftFoot
Roar Guru
That's my experience as well from a couple of decades back. My brother was pies supporter and one day when I was off to Sydney for work, asked me to bring him back a Wests jumper - he loved it, took it to footy training, talk of the town.
Lorry
Guest
Good article I was just thinking about this topic today when watching Fox Sports News. The Waratahs jersey is sky blue as it has always been.... And club rugby in Sydney keep their strips the same. Actually, current NRL jerseys make me feel ill!
Liam
Guest
Growing up in Melbourne, we used to think the NSWRL jumpers were brilliant, simple and quite cool eg: Balmain, Easts, Sths, St George...actually all of them. Every now and then someone would have picked one up on a trip up north, wore it to school or footy training no probs - no eggs were thrown with a few sayign can I have a go wearing it. Now if you did the same it looks like someones brought up the previous evenings steak, eggs, chips, sauce, beer, Bacardi, pickled onion, beetroot on you. They look rediculous.
Jeff
Guest
Yes sireee.. stop the laundry Woman from using too much bleach. couldn't agree more. lets get back to the famous Cherry and White.-- Great point Sam.
The Real Fan
Guest
They were supporting the fight against voilence towards women! Who cares about the colour they are doing a good thing unlike other teams.
Sam el Perro
Guest
Wigan, sadly, probably have the ugliest jersey in the history of rugby league this year. It's a post-modern take on the cherry and white stripes that has been faded pink. Truly awful.