There can be no doubt that South Africans in their millions stand firmly behind the Springbok rugby team, while the majority believe that they have an above-average chance of bringing home a fourth World Cup title.

Still, there is a proverbial pebble in the shoe of many Bok supporters regarding the team’s “alternative” kit at this year’s World Cup tournament.

Traditionally, the Springboks play in their green jerseys with a gold collar and white shorts. However, if in the past there has been a clash of colours with the kit of their opposition and the Boks had to play in alternative kits, the choice has usually been a very sensible white jersey with black shorts.

In August 2017, the Springboks, who at the time were still sponsored by ASICS, deviated from the long-standing tradition for one special match when a test against Argentina was played in the city of Salta. During that game, the Springboks were decked out in red from head to toe.

At the time there was a big uproar among Springbok supporters, who in their thousands expressed their distaste for the red kit.

Comments like “…so wrong on so many levels…” and “…there was this one time a marketing guy said ‘Let’s change the flavour of Coke’”… were common on social media at the time.

At the time SA Rugby and the sponsor’s explanation was that they wanted to do something special to celebrate the 25-year anniversary of “unity” in the management of South African rugby. However, the experiment was clearly a flop and it was never done again. Until now.

The Springboks have recently acquired a new sponsor for their kit (Nike) and this company has also designed a new alternative jersey in collaboration with SA Rugby. This outfit was almost immediately received largely negatively by the public.

Although small changes have been made to the traditional green jersey by Nike, it is the alternative jersey that has fans scratching their heads. When Nike introduced this alternative jersey in July this year, their explanation for it was as follows: “The bold new alternative jersey pays homage to the local cultural through the patterned print and the colourway was inspired by and celebrates the hues of the local nature.”  

The Springboks played for the first time on 5 August in Buenos Aires against Argentina with the new alternative jersey and since then there has been a lot of negative commentary about it. However, a new wave of negative comments and even a lot of mocking and jokes came through again – especially on social media – after the past weekend’s World Cup match between the Springboks and Scotland.

There can be no doubt that most Springbok supporters do not like this kit at all. All sorts of comparisons are made, but the most popular are that it looks like something sponsored by the supermarket group, Checkers, or that it looks like an advert for peppermint toothpaste or a well-known mouthwash.

Two former Springbok captains, Wynand Claassen and Tommy Bedford, feel so strongly about the matter that they sent an open letter to World Rugby and the organizers of the World Cup tournament to register their disapproval of the matter in principle.

Claassen, known as a man who is not afraid to speak his mind and stand up for his principles, told Rekord that the management of SA Rugby is spineless and gives in too easily for the sake of money. “They are selling the soul of rugby to the highest bidder,” Claassen noted.

One of the reasons officially given by SA Rugby and the sponsor, Nike, for the design of the Springboks’ new alternative kit is that it will help people who are colour blind to identify the teams.

“Only about 8% of the world’s population is colour blind,” Claasen told Rekord.

He also believes that this is a poor excuse, as the Springboks’ alternative kit has always been white and that, unlike any dark colour, it can be used without colour blindness being involved.

Another old Springbok who has a strong opinion about the new kit is the tighthead prop, Richard Bands.

Bands made it clear during a conversation with Rekord that he firstly has a problem with the fact that the Springbok emblem is moved from the front of the jersey (right chest of the players) to the sleeve during World Cup tournaments.

“It’s nonsense and unnecessary,” Bands said angrily.

This popular former Bulls player also expressed his disgust with the new alternative jersey, in which the Springboks played this past weekend.

“It really looks like an ad for Checkers,” he said. After that he continued in his well-known mischievous way: “Just think how I would have looked in it. Probably like R5000 worth of groceries in one Checkers bag…”

It is not known whether SA Rugby or Nike have officially responded to the latest controversy surrounding the Springboks’ kit. For the sponsor, the old saying in the business world probably applies that any publicity is good publicity. And this colourful new alternative outfit of the Springboks certainly gives them loads of extra publicity.

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