The Otago Highlanders announced on Monday that the Super 15 team will drop its traditional blue, yellow and maroon strip next year, in a move that has angered some club stalwarts.
The Highlanders, the surprise package of this year’s southern hemisphere competition, said the change signalled a fresh start for the club when it moves into a new stadium in Dunedin next year.
“We believe the time is right for change,” general manager Roger Clark said.
“We have a new coach, new players, new expectations, new and renewed fans, and next year, we will have a new home stadium.”
The new strip is being kept under wraps until Friday, when the team will wear it for the Highlanders’ final home game of the season against the Western Force.
Local media have reported it will be green, although Clark would only say the new colours “represent the physical characteristics of the whole franchise region”.
Former coach Laurie Mains told TVNZ the change was a “betrayal” of past Highlanders’ players who had given their all for the colours since the club’s Super rugby debut in 1996.
He predicted a potential backlash from angry fans.
Former Otago and New Zealand flanker Josh Kronfeld was also seeing red.
“It’s a whole change, it’s a whole different look, it means revenue generated but at the same time there’s history that’s gone with that jersey now and to just throw the colours away completely,” he said.
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