Highlanders green jersey revealed on Friday
SCOTT PRESTON AND MARC HINTON Last updated 14:55 30/05/2011
The controversial Highlanders jersey colour change will not be revealed until the team runs onto Carisbrook for the final time on Friday night.
The Highlanders franchise has confirmed the new jersey - believed to be light green with a dark blue strip down the sides and no trace of maroon - will be worn as a once-off this season on Friday night against the Western Force in Dunedin, ahead of a permanent move to the new strip next season.
Since news of the change became public on Friday, opposition in the deep south has been fierce, with social media sites Twitter and Facebook buzzing with criticism.
A group on Facebook 'Keep the Highlanders in Blue, Gold and Maroon' had almost 1900 likes (as at 2.30pm Monday) since being set up on Friday night, while the Highlanders official Facebook page has been bombarded with criticism.
An Otago Daily Times website poll has 90 per cent of 1473 votes (as at 2.30pm Monday) opposed to changing the team's colours away from the traditional southern colours of blue, gold and maroon - representing the Otago, North Otago and Southland rugby unions that back the Highlanders.
Highlanders general manager Roger Clark said today that while the new-look colours would be introduced fully next year, the team will play in the new colours on Friday night, and jerseys would be signed and gifted to fans at Carisbrook.
Clark would not confirm the widely speculated change to green but said the new colours reflected a time of positive change for the Highlanders.
"We believe the time is right for change. We have a new coach, new players, new expectations, new and renewed fans, and next year, we will have a new home stadium," said Clark.
"We hope that Highlanders fans in our region and around the country will continue to support a great coach and a great team, support the new colours and make the Highlanders franchise strong and enduring."
Clark responded to critics who have wondered about the relevance of a green playing strip for the Otago-Southland region.
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"We have chosen colours that we believe represent the physical characteristics of the whole franchise region," he said. "The colours will make a clear statement about the geography of our region and will stand out in the Super Rugby international competition.
"A year ago, the Highlanders was not a strong franchise - the team wasn't performing and it was hard work for our fans. This year, there's a real sense of renewal and renewed energy and our own research tells us that people across our region want us to have a franchise identify distinct from their provinces."
Clarke encouraged fans to come along and see the new look of the team for themselves.
"To mark our last home game, and to repay the support we have had so far this season, at the conclusion of the game the team will give the new-look playing shirts off their backs to 15 lucky supporters," he added.
New Zealand Rugby Union general manager of professional rugby, Neil Sorensen, said the national body backed the colour change.
"The Highlanders are going great guns; it's been exciting watching them this year. Jamie is an inspirational coach, and they have a lot of new - and not so new - players who have made other teams sit up and notice them," he said.
"Next year, the Highlanders will have a new home, a new strip and potentially some new players."
Coach Jamie Joseph said "this is an extremely important and exciting step in the development of the Highlanders into a truly regional team".
He added: "We have a group of men from all over this country that are extremely proud to represent this region and we will all happily champion these colours as our own. Our job is to build some pride into playing for the jersey and ensure the opposition have plenty of respect for it."
- Stuff
