Australian Rugby confirm gold for 2021 and beyond

Fri, Jan 29, 2021, 3:00 AM
Rugby Australia
by Rugby Australia
The 1991 Wallabies squad celebrate a win over England in Sydney. Photo: Getty Images
The 1991 Wallabies squad celebrate a win over England in Sydney. Photo: Getty Images

Rugby Australia has confirmed that following a nail-biting vote, the Wallabies and Wallaroos will anchor their future on-field look with a nod to their World Cup-winning heritage.

Some of the game's most influential figures gathered overnight in Sydney and Brisbane to vote on the national side's jersey colour from 2021 and beyond.

The 1991 Rugby World Cup-winning jersey was chosen after an epic tiebreak and will now form the basis of the Wallabies and Wallaroos playing strip heading into the future.

The suspenseful vote saw some of the game's most prominent figures vote on eight iterations of the Wallabies jersey, with the 1991 strip edging out its 1984 counterpart in the final.

Rugby Australia will now work with major partner ASICS to align the traditional colour scheme with the technological evolution in the 2021 jersey.

Rugby Australia Chairman, Hamish McLennan said: "Firstly I'd like to thank all who took part in the event and to Crown, it was a fantastic night, and you couldn't have scripted the ending.

"While I had to cast the final vote, it was ultimately the fans who decided the '91 jersey. More than 13,000 people were polled with the ’91 colour the clear favourite – so that made it an easy decision for me.

"The jersey is key to our identity as a team and a nation, and it's important that it has a nod to its heritage and also appeals to our supporters," McLennan said.

ASICS Oceania Managing Director, Mark Brunton said: "It was great to be involved last night, and we're excited to bring some heritage back into the Wallabies jersey.

"We have always designed our jerseys in consultation with the players from a performance point of view, but the 2021 strip will now be extra special.

"The new jersey will be designed in a way which reflects not only the performance needs but also speaks to the identity of the players."

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