Demented Mole
@dementedmole
A roundtable for rugby obsessives Support the Molecast at
The screengrab mentioned in our discussion is below — it's not just the Leinster-biased media who are obsessed with Sam Prendergast, EVERYONE is looking at him.
I think their 2007 RWC templates were all awful, but the Scots got it worst because their "patches" were done in a different colour to the body, making them look even dafter.
The specific nadir of rugby jersey design was this match between Scotland in navy and grey against New Zealand in black and grey in RWC 2007.
Some honourable mentions, pt. 2 (There's very few images of this Biarritz Olympique jersey from 2003/04 with different coloured sleeves. I bought one in a Decathlon near Biarritz around that time. It's a beauty.)
ACT Brumbies, c. late 1990s. Kind of a chevron thing, intercepted by the gold lines of different weights over a white body. Great sponsor and cool "computer" style '80s numbers on the back. There were so many lads walking round with gym bags wearing this jersey in the early noughties.
Queensland Marroons, State of Origin 1993. One more League jersey! Great colour, simple design motif of four stripes across chest and sleeves.
Begles-Bordeaux, 1991. Bouclier winners, terrifying front row. Simple and memorable. Made an impression!
Australia Kangaroos, c. 1993. The right green, the right gold. Chevrons, Castlemaine XXXX sponsors.
Wigan, c.1992. Cherry and white of the greatest league club side in England. Chevrons meets stripes. Farrell. Edwards. Offiah. Robinson... and the rest.
France, 1987 RWC. Adidas trefoil logo. Tricolor stripes all the way to the end of the sleeve. 1978 World Cup style 3-line numbers on jerseys and shorts. Blue shirt, white shirts, red socks, like the tricolor, like France should have.
All Blacks — c. 1994 (?). Canterbury jersey pre-Adidas take over. Steinlager sponsorship badge. Just the right amount of white in the collar. Otherwise perfect simplicity for a great team.
Best Leinster jersey — c. 2004. Royal blue body, navy shoulders, thick gold dividing band and gold badges. Simpler Leinster crest.
Best Irish jersey — RWC 2003. Good green. Good collar. No sponsor. Two thin hoops on the sleeve. Everyone looks healthy and sunkissed in it.