Springboks to tackle All Blacks in white? It could happen!

According to an article published by the Daily Maverick, SA Rugby have expressed its reservations after World Rugby quietly adopted a future policy around Test team kits in order to accommodate spectators who are colour-blind.

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The report suggests that, for example, we may never see the Springboks and All Blacks facing each other in their ‘primary’ dark green and black kits because the new World Rugby policy would require teams with clashing jerseys to either wear ‘light’ or ‘dark’ kits from 2025.

This policy could come into effect from 2025 as measure to make distinguishing team kits easier for spectators who suffer from colour vision deficiency (CVD).

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SA RUGBY HAVE MADE ITS POSITION CLEAR

Apparently the policy became official last week, but SA Rugby has flagged its reservations, as have the All Blacks, with various commercial considerations having to be taken into account when it comes to teams’ primary kit.

“While SA Rugby supports World Rugby’s ambition to make rugby as inclusive as possible, we have serious reservations about the potential impacts the application of the colour-blindness regulations may have, and believe they need further interrogation,” chief executive Rian Oberholzer told Daily Maverick in an email.

“For instance, it would mean that the Springboks and All Blacks would never meet again with both in their primary colours at any World Rugby event. The guidelines say that: ‘If only one person watching on the sidelines of the school field is having trouble following some elements of the game due to an avoidable kit clash, then rugby is letting them down.’

“But we believe that some or all of the 11 out of 12 males and 199 out of 200 women who are not colour-blind (on the statistical base presented) may also feel let down if the time-honoured traditions of the game are lost, setting aside the potential damage to the equity established in those colours and brands over centuries.  We believe the impact on the game’s broader support base also needs to be considered. We will continue to engage with World Rugby on the subject.”

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SPRINGBOKS’ 2023 FIXTURES

Rugby Championship

8 July: Springboks vs Australia (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)

✈ 15 July: South Africa vs New Zealand (Mount Smart, Auckland)

29 July: Springboks vs Argentina (Ellis Park, Johannesburg)

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World Cup warm-ups

✈ 5 August: South Africa vs Argentina (Vélez Stadium, Buenos Aires)

✈ 19 August: South Africa vs Wales (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff)

✈ 25 August: Springbok vs New Zealand (Twickenham Stadium, London)

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RUGBY WORLD CUP

✈ 10 September: South Africa vs Scotland (Stade Vélodrome, Marseille)

✈ 17 September: Springbok vs Romania (Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux)

✈ 23 September: South Africa vs Ireland (Stade de France, Saint-Denis, Paris)

✈ 1 October: South Africa vs Tonga (Stade Vélodrome, Marseille)

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