Pre Season '16: Reds v Brumbies

[Lindommer]

On the matter of the clashing jumpers, we USED to have a practice in rugby of the home team changing to avoid a clash with the visitors. I refer to the instances when Scotland wore a white jumper with fine navy blue or purple stripes when the All Blacks visited. Conversely, the ABs wore a white jumper with fine black piping when Scotland travelled down under. Just recently Australia changed to a green and gold striped jumper when they played Romania at RWC2003 RWC1995.

A practice I'd like to see revived and instituted as standard in rugby worldwide.

corrected

 

[Scoey]

Why? What difference would it make?
I understand that back in the good ol' days teams probably had one set of jerseys to last the season and international travel was a far far more grand adventure than what it is today so carrying two sets of jerseys was probably fairly onerous.
These days though, teams are professional, they likely carry two sets of their primary strip to allow for a change at half time if required and replace the sets regularly throughout the season. Not to mention that travel these days is super easy.

I'm not saying that yours is a bad idea Lindo, it's just that it is common practice that the away team wear the alternate strip in the event of a clash and it's really not a big imposition to bring an extra set of jerseys. So other than pure nostalgia, I don't see any real benefit in changing a fairly widely understood convention.

 

[RugbyReg]

On the matter of the clashing jumpers, we USED to have a practice in rugby of the home team changing to avoid a clash with the visitors. I refer to the instances when Scotland wore a white jumper with fine navy blue or purple stripes when the All Blacks visited. Conversely, the ABs wore a white jumper with fine black piping when Scotland travelled down under. Just recently Australia changed to a green and gold striped jumper when they played Romania at RWC2003.

A practice I'd like to see revived and instituted as standard in rugby worldwide.

that was actually 1995 in SAF. We wore our normal jersey in 2003.

 

[oztimmay]

He's right Lindo. In fact, look at my Avatar picture and you can see the jumper, as worn by the great Tony Daly, the archetype old school Prop (IMO).

 

[Lindommer]

Facts, shmacts, it's only a date.....

It's an "understood convention" we've recently picked up from soccer. Prior to pro rugby the home team changed.

 

[TOCC]

I think times have changed then... Fans are more active in wearing team colours and team merchandise these days, fans buy the primary colour of the team not the alternate strip. Fans heading to the game want to wear the colour of their team to show support.

Western Force are playing the Brumbies, Tahs, Bulls, Blues, Stormers, Rebels and Crusaders at home in 2016. That's 7 home games where the Force would potentially clash with the opposition jersey, that means the Force could potentially only wear their blue jersey once at home in 2016 if that rule were adopted.

It would seem a bit silly for Tahs, Rebels, Brumbies or Force fans to wear blue to a game if their team is wearing white and the opposition is wearing blue. I don't see any benefit to the home team changing jersey but there are plenty of potential negatives.

 

[dru]

If its a change then its a change that matches professionalism. Home teams are entitled to the marketing boost. Away teams adjust to suit.