New Wallabies jersey design is good as gold TEST players old and new have given the thumbs-up to the new bold gold Wallabies jersey, erasing the memory of the jigsaw design disaster of the late '90s.
New Wallabies jersey design is good as gold.
TEST players old and new have given the thumbs-up to the new bold gold Wallabies jersey, erasing the memory of the jigsaw design disaster of the late '90s.
A change of jersey-maker is always cause to hold your breath because of the urge to tinker with tradition yet Queensland-based sports apparel manufacturers KooGa have got it spot-on.
The green side panels and white spiderweb grip panels which tricked up one of Australian sport's most iconic jerseys are gone and the overdone green piping has been reduced.
The cleaner, more classic look unveiled yesterday is as The Courier-Mail predicted when the split from nine-year supplier Canterbury was revealed last September.
"The new jersey is back to that solid, old gold look just like the first replica I wore as a little kid supporting the team in the early '90s," enthused jersey model Berrick Barnes.
"It's good to have the traditional look to it. There's nothing better than switching on to Wimbledon on TV and watching fans supporting Aussies in their Wallaby jerseys."
Halfback Will Genia nodded: "It's really bright gold, a little like the Socceroos, and very Australian."
Former Wallaby flanker Dave Wilson played through 1997-98 when Reebok added a garish jigsaw of green and white triangles in designing the jersey.
It was rightly attacked as an "SBS test pattern" and a "girl's blouse".
"Yep, that was a disgrace, a financially-driven decision," Wilson said. "I like the new one.
"That gold traditional look is very important because you never see the All Blacks and Springboks deviating from their 'look'."
Added 1980s prop Andy McIntyre: "The strong gold gets a tick from me but it doesn't look much good on a cockroach."
KooGa says the jersey incorporates five different fabric technologies that help control body temperature and even lower heart rate a few beats.
The chamois panels on the side of the shorts are an aid to dry hands and grip for lifting in lineouts while socks, made of compression material, aim to reduce lactic acid build-up.
