New Kooga Wallabies kit

[RugbyFuture]

Australian rugby union team goes hi-tech with new jumpers

Greg Stolz

January 21, 2010 11:00pm

THE new Wallaby jersey to be unveiled on Australia Day is so hi-tech it will slow down players' heart rates and speed up their performance, its Queensland-based manufacturer claims.

Gold Coast company KooGa, which fended off international sportswear giants to win the Wallaby uniform contract, is promising the new-look jersey, shorts and socks will be "a genuine secret weapon" for the Australian side heading into next year's World Cup.

The kit is being kept under tight wraps until next week's official launch but KooGa boss Tyron Brant has revealed the jersey contains five "futuristic fabrics" never before used in a football jumper.

They include carbon fibre which is claimed to lower the heart rate by up to at least four beats a minute.

Another fabric, imported from Italy, is said to decrease lactic acid while other materials, developed by KooGa, are reputed to lower body temperature and increase movement.

The Wallabies' new shorts contain chamois panels to keep players' hands dry and the socks are made from a compression material to reduce lactic acid build-up.

KooGa spent two years researching and developing the "state-of-the-art" technology before submitting the winning jumper design to the Australian Rugby Union, Brant said. He said the company had looked at fabrics worn by cyclists and burn victims for inspiration.

"The new jersey is not only virtually indestructible – it also helps thermostatically control body temperature, repelling moisture and cooling the skin surface," he said.

"The state-of-the-art fabrics also help stimulate blood flow to heighten reaction time and speed up performance."

Brant said the new Wallaby jersey was the most expensive ever, costing about $250 to make – about five times the price of the old jumper. He said the uniform could give the Wallabies a genuine winning edge.

"Professional sport is all about that 1 per cent extra but the new uniform will hopefully provide the Wallabies with an extra 3 or 4 per cent," he said.

"That's how good we believe it is."

Despite its 21st century technology, the new jersey is believed to have the traditional gold and green colour scheme.

It will be paraded by Wallabies Berrick Barnes, Ben Robinson, James Horwill and Will Genia at functions in Brisbane and Sydney next week.

KooGa also makes uniforms for NRL teams Melbourne and Newcastle, and Queensland Reds and ACT Brumbies rugby sides.

im excited howabout you? although the $250 price tag aint that entertaining

 

[chief]

Within 5 years I reckon Kooga will take over Canterbury as the leading Rugby jersey supplier. It is a very exciting prospect, and I'm very keen for the jersey look.

 

[todd4]

Sounds interesting - but '$250 to make' plus other costs plus mark-up = how much? Maybe they will make one in a less expensive fabric for sale to the general public.

 

[Ishmael]

They include carbon fibre which is claimed to lower the heart rate by up to at least four beats a minute.

Another fabric, imported from Italy, is said to decrease lactic acid while other materials, developed by KooGa, are reputed to lower body temperature and increase movement.

The Wallabies' new shorts contain chamois panels to keep players' hands dry and the socks are made from a compression material to reduce lactic acid build-up.

KooGa spent two years researching and developing the "state-of-the-art" technology before submitting the winning jumper design to the Australian Rugby Union, Brant said. He said the company had looked at fabrics worn by cyclists and burn victims for inspiration.

"The new jersey is not only virtually indestructible – it also helps thermostatically control body temperature, repelling moisture and cooling the skin surface," he said.

"The state-of-the-art fabrics also help stimulate blood flow to heighten reaction time and speed up performance."

Can I just be the first to say....................GAY!

"Professional sport is all about that 1 per cent extra but the new uniform will hopefully provide the Wallabies with an extra 3 or 4 per cent," he said.

And also the first to say.............BULLSHIT!

The day a rugby jersey has any impact on the outcome of a match, or does anything besides letting you know which person to throw the ball to, will be the same day Robert Christgau rates a Nick Cave album.

The marketing department of Kooga obviously has a budget to rival the US defense force, and it's products are probably just as useless in actual combat.

 

[Thomond78]

They do make lovely boots, mind; just a pity they fall apart in the rain.

 

[Newb]

skeptical. soon they'll be playing in moon suits.

 

[fatprop]

But will they look like a rugby jersey or a gay tour de france top

 

[Scarfman]

Well, swimming just got blown to the shithouse by hi-tech gear, it's not impossible that a jersey could provide assistance. If it keeps you cool and lowers your heart rate I might get one for wearing around everyday.

 

[Newb]

it works in swimming because it alters your interaction with the environment (water). any reduction in air drag only goes so far. they make it sound like this material alters you, the player. poorly written.

if what they're talking about is being cooler and lighter, therefore helping you to perform a little better, then ok. but just say that then. like this -- the material is "reputed to increase movement". false. it allows for increased movement. not the same. one is active, the other is passive.

and carbon fibre doesn't lower anything. except perhaps weight. so if carrying around 6 fewer ounces on your back lowers your heart rate then you must not be an athlete.

that said, i'm excited to see what it looks like :yay

 

[Groucho]

What a bunch of horseshit those claims are. Carbon fiber reducing heart rate by 4bpm. Yeah, right.

 

[Groucho]

I'm afraid it will look silly if Kooga's previous work is any indication. Rumours are that it has a traditional collar. Why? May as well play in carbon fiber blazers if you're going down that route.

 

[Moses]

Can I be the second to call BULLSHIT! Surely this is a paid advertisment, and not an article? Greg Stolz, give yourself an uppercut.

Queensland-based manufacturer claims.

Gold Coast company KooGa, which fended off international sportswear giants to win the Wallaby uniform contract

Contrast the above statement with the following from KooGa's own website

KooGa has become a major international brand with distribution in Australia, NZ, Fiji, Tonga, Japan, UK, France, Canada, USA and Italy. KooGa is now the supplier to many major clubs, associations, national teams and international teams.

They include carbon fibre which is claimed to lower the heart rate by up to at least four beats a minute.

"by up to at least four beats a minute." is a logical tautology. How can heartrate be reduced by "up to" 4bpm (1, 2 or 3), AND "at least" 4bpm (4+). How do the characteristics of carbon fibre such as high tensile strength, low weight, and low thermal expansion contribute to a reduction of heartrate anyway?

The Wallabies' new shorts contain chamois panels to keep players' hands dry

This sounds positively space age (ie 1960's). They've gone to supercheap and sowed a chamois to the thighs. Actually sounds like a decent idea.

the socks are made from a compression material to reduce lactic acid build-up.

Compression socks? Don't they already wear skins?

"The new jersey is not only virtually indestructible – it also helps thermostatically control body temperature

The human body already controls body temperature thermostatically, ie it reacts to the environment to maintain a core temperature of around 37 degrees.

repelling moisture and cooling the skin surface," he said.

Does it repell moisturous sweat? How does this aid cooling?

"The state-of-the-art fabrics also help stimulate blood flow to heighten reaction time and speed up performance."

So it stimulates blood flow while reducing heart rate. Does it achieve these seemingly contradictory aims by increasing the volume of blood pumped by each heartbeat?

Brant said the new Wallaby jersey was the most expensive ever, costing about $250 to make – about five times the price of the old jumper. He said the uniform could give the Wallabies a genuine winning edge.

"Professional sport is all about that 1 per cent extra but the new uniform will hopefully provide the Wallabies with an extra 3 or 4 per cent," he said.

Do they benchmark this against nude Wallabies, or against the existing jerseys?

"That's how good we believe it is."

I believe I can fly.

Despite its 21st century technology, the new jersey is believed to have the traditional gold and green colour scheme.

I am glad they've overcome the barriers that current manufacturing techniques present to the use of gold and green. Perhaps in the 22nd century the use of a palette will not be such a hinderance.

It will be paraded by Wallabies Berrick Barnes, Ben Robinson, James Horwill and Will Genia at functions in Brisbane and Sydney next week.

Is Ben any relation of Benn?

 

[Aussie D]

The Wallabies' new shorts contain chamois panels to keep players' hands dry and the socks are made from a compression material to reduce lactic acid build-up.

So does this explain the backs' poor performance overthe past few years? Too much time wanking during matches and no way to dry their hands hence plenty of dropped pill.

 

[Moses]

"Professional sport is all about that 1 per cent extra but the new uniform will hopefully provide the Wallabies with an extra 3 or 4 per cent," he said.

I reckon they could improve by 20% simply by learning to catch and pass

 

[Calexico]

"The day a rugby jersey has any impact on the outcome of a match, or does anything besides letting you know which person to throw the ball to, will be the same day Robert Christgau rates a Nick Cave album."

Ishamel you get maximum points for obscure Nick Cave-related reference. Forced me to actually hunt down a Christgau review - he gave Henry's Dream a 'C' - the dude is obviously an idiot.

 

[TOCC]

Can I be the second to call BULLSHIT! Surely this is a paid advertisment, and not an article? Greg Stolz, give yourself an uppercut.

Queensland-based manufacturer claims.

Gold Coast company KooGa, which fended off international sportswear giants to win the Wallaby uniform contract

Contrast the above statement with the following from KooGa's own website

KooGa has become a major international brand with distribution in Australia, NZ, Fiji, Tonga, Japan, UK, France, Canada, USA and Italy. KooGa is now the supplier to many major clubs, associations, national teams and international teams.

There seperate things, Kooga Australia is a wholly owned Australian company, whilst there is Kooga in Europe it does not own Kooga in Australia, without know the intricate details of the company its probably a case where Kooga Australia has brought the rights to operate under the Kooga name since it is a already established brand name, quite smart really.

But its also the reason that you cant purchase Kooga jerseys for teams from Europe through the Kooga Australia website, becuase they are different suppliers.

If anything its probably best described as a franchise, with the license granted to supply teams in the Oceanic region, pay a small fee to Kooga Europe and receive added brand name awareness as well as any R&D technology.

 

[Newb]

The Wallabies' new shorts contain chamois panels to keep players' hands dry and the socks are made from a compression material to reduce lactic acid build-up.

So does this explain the backs' poor performance overthe past few years? Too much time wanking during matches and no way to dry their hands hence plenty of dropped pill.

it was either that or the hair product

 

[Ishmael]

"The day a rugby jersey has any impact on the outcome of a match, or does anything besides letting you know which person to throw the ball to, will be the same day Robert Christgau rates a Nick Cave album."

Ishamel you get maximum points for obscure Nick Cave-related reference. Forced me to actually hunt down a Christgau review - he gave Henry's Dream a 'C' - the dude is obviously an idiot.

:thumb

It's a running joke amongst a few people I know. I think the 'C' was one of his more generous.

 

[liquor box]

The Wallabies' new shorts contain chamois panels to keep players' hands dry and the socks are made from a compression material to reduce lactic acid build-up.

So does this explain the backs' poor performance overthe past few years? Too much time wanking during matches and no way to dry their hands hence plenty of dropped pill.

Will the ability to dry your hands mean the end of gloves? Or is there a space age glove being made from carbon fibre?

 

[Scarfman]

And what would happen to Chris Latham's lactic acid? Would the coaching steaff tell him to pull his socks up?