JUST AS EXCITING as the World Cup countdown itself is the launch of each of the team’s new kits and Australia are the latest to unveil what they’ll be wearing during the tournament.
A host of Wallabies were on hand at the Allianz Stadium in Sydney to model the stylish new Asics jersey which will be worn by Michael Cheika’s men throughout this year’s tournament.
Although they launched a similar style with the Springboks last week, Asics claim ‘this is the most technically innovative rugby union’ they’ve ever designed.
Scientists at the Asics Institute of Sports Science in Japan spent 18 months working on the kit with several members of the squad partaking in testing phases throughout the process.
The shirt is apparently the lightest, strongest, more ergonomically fitted and harder to grab than previous Wallabies jerseys and has also been designed with specially designed grip points which will enable players to hold the ball more securely.
After all, you can’t argue with science.
There has, however, been a mixed reaction to it.
While the colour scheme is still clearly green and gold, the new design sees the traditional stars-and-stripes feature on the right sleeve on which the southern cross is also set.
The fans aren’t happy. In a poll on the Green and Gold website, 45% of fans said they ‘detested’ the new shirt on an online poll.
“I could have drunk a case of pineapple cruisers and eaten a mid-2000s Australia one day shirt and vomited out something better. Disgraceful,” was one angered fans’ comment.
Well, they’ll just have to live with it and should their side advance from the ‘group of death’ and go far in the competition, the jersey will become a collector’s item.
We’ll get a first glimpse of this ‘innovative’ jersey when Australia face Fiji at the Millennium Stadium on 23 September.
What do you think and what would you like to see when Ireland’s World Cup kit is launched?
