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Winning combination Trevor Allan in the old jumper and Cameron Shepherd in the new, harder-to-grab version.
Photo: Craig Golding
International rugby teams will do anything to get a winning edge - even wearing a skin-tight jersey.
For decades, the Australian rugby jersey has been a work in progress. It has has been sky blue, maroon, dark green, white, dark blue, incorporated gold-and-green hoops, even once resembling multi-coloured pyjamas. But whatever the colours, it has nearly always been big and baggy.
The jersey, predominantly gold since the 1960s, will today undergo yet another change when the Wallabies unveil what they will wear on next month's tour of France, England, Ireland and Wales.
The aim of the tight-fitting jersey is to make the Wallabies harder to stop, in the hope that renowned attacking players such as Lote Tuqiri, Mat Rogers and Matt Giteau can slip through tackles and score tries.
The main design change revolves around the green hoops being removed from the sleeves, and replaced with a green stretchable panel under the sleeves and down the side.
The jersey will also be a closer fit through the back, underarms and biceps. Opponents will be unable to grab the smaller collar.
The hardest task for the Australian players will be getting the body hugger off afterwards. Wallabies newcomer utility back Cameron Shepherd, who yesterday modelled the jersey, explained it was a cozy fit.
Far more roomy was the 1949 Test jersey which renowned Wallabies captain Trevor Allan brought along to the preview. Even 56 years after Allan wore the dark-green jersey to lead Australia to a historic Bledisloe Cup series victory over New Zealand, it still fits easily.
Allan likes the new Test jersey, even if he prefers the 2003 World Cup version, but said that those of the past were more precious than the present. Nowadays, Wallabies get a new jersey for every Test and can even change them for another at half-time.
During Allan's Test days, officials would take the Australian jersey back from players immediately after home internationals. On the 1947-48 Wallabies tour of Britain, Ireland and France, Allan had just three jerseys for the 32 matches he played. In New Zealand in 1949, he was given only two for a lengthy, arduous, and ultimately triumphant tour.
http://www.rugbyheaven.smh.com.au/news/off-the-field/new-line-out-for-the-wallabies/2005/10/24/1130006060777.html
About time we caught up with the other countries. I'm sure the ABs have already done this.
Lets hope they work as teams would now actually have to tackle Sailor and Tuqiri instead of grabbing the shirt.
funny is not the word i would use...
