John O’Neill was not long in the job of CEO of the ARU in 1997 when he signed up Reebok to a lucrative (for the times) Wallaby jersey sponsorship.
When the new jersey, a mish-mash of colliding colours of green, white and gold, in swirls and diagonals, was unveiled, a fire storm descended on him.
Peter FitzSimons described the jersey as “dog’s vomit”. The Sydney Morning Herald went big on the story and O’Neill felt obliged to hold a media conference to settle things down.
At the conference, the SMH’s star columnist Paul Sheehan was unleashed as an attack dog. He took over the conference with a series of savage interjections. His main point was that the famous Wallaby gold jersey was being desecrated on the altar of commercialism.
He was right, of course, from an aesthetic point of view. The new jersey was easily the most nauseating Wallaby outfit ever inflicted on the players and supporters.
But he was wrong to insist that the Wallaby gold jersey was the classic jersey for Australia’s national rugby team. I wrote an article at the time pointing out that while the All Blacks have remained loyal or staunch with their iconic black jersey, the Wallabies have had about nine different colours and formats.
From 1899 on, the Wallabies tended to play in the colours of the state they were playing in, the Waratahs’ light blue when playing in Sydney and the Queensland maroon when playing at Brisbane. From the late 1930s through to the 1960s the Wallabies generally played in a green jersey. The gold jersey was introduced in 1961 on the tour to South Africa to avoid the clash with the green Springboks jerseys.
But even after 1961 (as the 1997 furore indicates) the Wallabies played in different shadings of gold, ranging from urine yellow to a rich pumpkin red/gold, generally depending upon the company which held the sponsorship.
It is a little-known fact that the first commercial sponsor of the Wallaby jersey was Adidas. One of the first acts of the Fraser Government after its victory in the 1975 was to cut its traditional grant to the ARU for outfitting touring sides. The ARU, which had virtually no funds, could not afford to pay these outfitting costs.
To make up for the shortfall, the ARU signed its first jersey sponsorship with Adidas.
So a generation of some of the greatest of all the Wallabies, the Ellas, David Campese, Simon Poidevin, Nick Farr-Jones, Roger Gould and Michael Lynagh played with the three green Adidas stripes running across the shoulders of their gold jersey.
The three stripes disappeared in 1989, the year of the tour by the British and Irish Lions.
To return to the beginning, though, the early Australian sides playing in Australia played with the colours of the state the Test was being presented. I have in front of me as I write this Peter Jenkins’ excellent, magisterial Wallaby Gold: 100 Years Of Australian Test Rugby (Random House 1999).
The first photo in the book shows Australia’s first rugby team in 1899 (before there was a political Australia!) posing before their Test against Britain at the SCG on 4 June 1899 in their NSW blue jerseys and dark blue shorts, with a big Australia coat of arms on their chest.
For the second Test at Brisbane, the Australian outfit had become a maroon jersey and white shorts.
By 1904, again against Britain, the coat of arms had been replaced with what appears to be a stylised Waratah flower.
In 1907 against the All Blacks, the Australian outfit was a blue and maroon striped jersey with dark blue shorts.
The first Wallabies on their tour of the UK in 1908 wore the light blue NSW jersey with a big A on the chest and dark blue shorts.
Jack Pollard points out in his mammoth history Australian Rugby Union: The Game and the Players (Angus and Robertson 1984) that this outfit was generally the touring kit until 1947-1948 when, for some “obscure reason”, the Wallabies touring the UK wore green and gold – a green jersey with the Australian coat of arms on the chest, white shorts and green and gold socks.
The use of the word “obscure” was justified by Pollard, when he pointed out that Australia’s national colours are actually blue and gold.
He surmised that the green and gold was adopted because there was a “mistaken belief” among cricket officials at the time that the official national colours were green and gold. But colour photos of Test cricketers in the era of Victor Trumper, Pollard pointed out, clearly show them “garbed in blue and gold”.
In 1978, however, the sports bodies in Australia decided that the Australian amateur representative colours were green and gold.
In the 1929 series against the All Blacks, when the Wallabies had Queensland players for the first time since the First World War when the Queensland Rugby Union went out of existence, the Wallabies played in a green jersey and white shorts. This series was won 3 – 0 by the Wallabies. It was the first Test series ever lost by the All Blacks.
The green jersey was kept for Tests against the All Blacks, away and at home, in 1931 and 1932. But for the tour of South Africa in 1933, the NSW blue was restored, and also for tours of New Zealand in 1936 and 1946.
In the home series against the Springboks in 1937, the blue and maroon striped jersey returned. You can buy this ‘Australian Wallabies Retro 1937 Jersey’ on Sports Box.
Generally before Rugby World Cup tournaments, the ARU will unveil its ‘new’ jersey. Aside from the 1997 edition, no unveiling has been as controversial as the 2007 model.
That year Canterbury produced a ‘slimfit’ jersey that had been under development for three years with Loughborough University in the UK. The intention of the makers was to give the Wallabies a ‘performance’ edge. For the first time, the props were given a ‘cap sleeve’ that made binding on their jersey almost impossible.
This notion of the jersey providing more than the showing of the colours and being part of the team’s winning arsenal of tricks and ploys is not new.
The 1905 All Blacks, one of rugby’s smartest teams, used to loosen the threads holding the jersey intact so that if an All Black was grabbed by the jersey trying to make a break, a panel from his jersey was left in the hands of the would-be tackler as the player raced ahead.
The main highlight or lowlight as far as the public was concerned of the 2007 model were the brown lines running across the front of the jersey, the slim lines, which were intended to define the abs and muscles of the trim Wallabies but, in fact, looked like giving them a man-bra shape.
To my mind, this is the worst Wallaby jersey, even more disagreeable than the 1997 model that David Wilson attacked as “an SBS test pattern” and a “girl’s blouse”.
The best Wallaby outfit in the modern era? The 1985 model, which consisted of a rich-coloured gold jersey with a dark green collar, dark green shorts and green socks with one wide band of gold. To my mind, the simplicity of the outfit and the richness of the colours make it as stand-out.
The 2012 version looks sort of OK, too. But it loses me when the dark green shorts have a thick gold trim at the bottom. Too fussy.
All of which raises the question: What ideas do Roarers have for their ideal Wallaby outfit?
Kent Dorfman
Roar Rookie
does the ARU have any say in the playing strip? Or any of the RFU’s? (look at Englands RWC 2007 – woeful.) Football socks are either hooped or one colour with a few this linen around the top, not these stupid designs where the calf is a different colour etc. Shorts are plain one colour, not soccer shorts, at least they have finally agreed to GOLD and not weak as cats p!ss pale yellow. Why do nations feel the need to screw around with the designs? France are the Tricolors yet have played in all blue! Leave the ugly gaudy clothing for the spectator merchandise, keep the national playing uniform traditional. Rugby always talks about tradition. What is the most popular jersey – is it plain black? Unchanged for 100 plus years.
HERSH
Roar Rookie
http://www.oldrugbyshirts.com/en/teams/a/australia-wallabies/old-australia-wallabies-rugby-shirts-t159.html
amband
Guest
All dark green please
cm
Guest
I'd love to see a gallery of all the jerseys mentioned in Spiro's article. About 10 years ago I was lucky enough to score a new one from the early 90s - deep gold, dark green collar - for $70 at a little sports store that's since closed. A couple of years ago, a bloke at a schoolboy game in country Qld offered me $200 for it.
nomis
Guest
Yes.My favorite too. It was the one color egg yolk gold in which we first won the world Cup. Rugby had never before had such attention. They should have retained this.
Calcio
Guest
So in other words the great traditional national rugby jersey is that worn by the Kangaroos; which hasn't altered materially since 1928.
Michael Fahey
Guest
Sheek...1933 jersey is sky blue..Have a look at myFB Page History of the Wallaby jersey https://www.facebook.com/groups/155896744445063/#!/photo.php?fbid=169177933116109&set=o.155896744445063&type=3&theater
Football United
Guest
1985: The classiest kit for the classiest of Australia's rugby players
Onside
Guest
Definition of PATHOS : Qantas Airlines sponsoring the Wallabies. Definition of IRONY : Emirates Airlines sponsoring the referees.
amband
Guest
marketeers aren't for tradition, sadly. Ditch the Green and gold altogether and legally protect the jersey from advertizing
AdamS
Roar Guru
I like the ones that are ripped, muddy and covered in blood (of the kiwi kind preferably). Haven't seen that for a while.
amband
Guest
get rid of green an gold. Make it all dark green like Randwick, or darker, or all navy blue with a true gold coat of arms, not baby dung yellow, or maybe, a springing wallaby, not one that looks like it's taking a dump Remove sponsoship from jersey. Maybe then, they will be Wallabies once again, not Qantas Wallabies. Get rid of " Wallabies ". What a chidlish name. Remove O'Neill and co and Deans
Blinky Bill
Guest
My vote goes to the 1985 model. As stated 'simplicity of the outfit and the richness of the colours make it a stand-out'. IMHO just pure class. ;) But the real question I have is who are these people that give the nod to some of the ugliest designs going about? That '97 jobby was I believed referred to as something that looks like a shattered car windscreen. It was butt ugly and you have to wonder how much CabSav was needed to get that one through. :( Maybe the All Blacks have had different shades of black and I've just not been paying close enough attention.
Jonno
Guest
If ever an article required photos this was it. Verbal descriptions of colours and patterns????
sheek
Roar Guru
If I may be so bold as to paraphrase Spiro's initial Wallaby outfit descriptions, perhaps outlining it more easily for readers to follow. Again using Peter Jenkins' Wallaby Gold as primary source. 1899 - In Sydney, sky blue jersey & dark shorts (navy or black?) with Australian coat of arms. In Brisbane, maroon jersey & white shorts. 1903 - Sky blue jerseys with dark shorts (navy or black?). No apparent coat of arms. 1904 - Sky blue jersey with Waratahs emblem. Presumedly in Brisbane, it was a maroon jersey with large Q. 1905/07 - Sky blue & maroon butcher stripes (alternate thick & thin stripes) with Wallaby or Kangaroo on breast. Again, dark shorts. Note, this is before the Wallaby became officially connected with rugby union. 1908/28 - Sky blue jersey & dark shorts. Waratah emblem on breast. 1929/32 - Green jersey & white shorts. Presumedly green sox. Coat of arms on breast. 1933 (to SA) - Gold jerseys & dark shorts. Presumedly green sox with gold (or white) fold. Coat of arms on breast by now standard. Spiro suggests this jersey is sky blue. Since we can be sure the collars are white, then the jerseys are either gold or sky blue. 1934/36 - Green jerseys & white shorts. All green sox. 1937 (vs SA) - White jersey with one large green hoop around midriff & smaller gold & green hoops above & below large hoop. Green collar & nos. Dark shorts. Hooped green & gold sox for the first time. 1938 - Jersey similar to 1937 except majority of jersey now gold instead of white, with one solid green hoop around midriff. Sox feature green with gold fold & twin green bands on fold. 1939/59 - Green jerseys & white shorts as previously. Hooped green & gold sox now standard. 1956 (vs SA) - Australia reverted to white jerseys & dark (green?) shorts. 1961 (to SA)/76 - Distinctive gold jersey now becomes standard, with green shorts & hooped sox. 1978/88 - The iconic Adidas 3 stripes becomes standard on both jersey (green) & shorts (gold). Hooped sox remain. 1989/96 - The return to a plain gold jersey, green shorts & green sox with gold fold & one single band on fold. What becomes evident is a change in the predominant colour, as Spiro suggests, from urine yellow to a rich pumpkin. Wallaby featured on right breast for the first time continuously. Spiro/Jim, the 1985 jersey Spiro alludes to is in fact the 1989/96 model as described by him. 1995 - Wallabies play in an impressive alternate jersey against Romania in world cup. It is green & gold hoops with green collar & white nos. It looks quite stunning. 1997/98 - Perhaps the most reviled Wallaby jersey in our history. Mostly gold jerseys with green armsleeves & a green & white 'cape' over right shoulder. Green shorts & green sox with gold fold. 1999/2006 - From the worst design to something close to the best. Gold jersey feaature green 'southern cross' across right breast, with green large armbands broken by smaller white & green bands above & below the large band. 2007 - Another vile design. The 'manboobs' jersey, with the central brownish panel. 2012 - I must confess I don't mind the pencil thin green lines on the current gold jersey. The gold jersey does need "breaking up", & this does so to good effect I reckon. The rest you know..... Heck, I don't mind change as long as it is an improvement. Some of the older designs leave modern jerseys for dead. Manufacturers trying to be too cute by half. It's interesting that baseball & American football have retained "traditional" outfit designs despite improvements in technology. I can't get my head around the fact that today's jerseys look like t-shirts. How undignified! You can't enter some public establishments without a tie. You shouldn't be allowed on a rugby pitch without a collar!!! It's all about tradition. Something apparently lost on today's marketeers.....
Lorry
Guest
Ironic to hear that ultra-capitalist right-winger Sheehan bemoaning the commercialisation of anything...
Walla
Guest
Definitely in favour of a more green jersey. This whole gold thing was really just a result of that wallabies thing in the 60s when they were playing the boks. Obviously we're not going to shift from green and gold now, but it would be interesting to see them in all green and a gold strip under the arms and over the shoulder. Keep the shorts completely green though, with any gold being limited to some subtle piping.
Bakkies
Guest
Adidas were supposed to be the main sponsors. Previously they had Steinlager on the test jersey. The French never have had a sponsor on their shirt. Alcohol sponsorship is also banned in France.
Gravity basher
Guest
Follow the format of the abs gernsey, replace Adidas with their sponsor qantas, and replace black with yellow-gold Timeless, respectful, traditional.
Chris
Guest
Newcastle Jets tried that. It looked awful and now they have just copied the Knights jersey - which looks 100% better.