Qantas Wallabies to wear indigenous jersey against England at Twickenham

Wed, Oct 17, 2018, 12:13 AM
Rugby Australia
by Rugby Australia
Indigenous jersey. Photo: Rugby AU Media
Indigenous jersey. Photo: Rugby AU Media

The Qantas Wallabies will wear their indigenous-inspired playing strip for their November 24 clash with England at Twickenham Stadium, it was announced today.

The clash with England is the third and final Test for the Wallabies on their 2018 Spring Tour of the northern hemisphere, and will follow matches against Wales (Cardiff, November 10) and Italy (Padua, November 17).

Designed in 2017 by Indigenous artist, Dennis Golding, the jersey was worn by the Wallabies for the first and so far, only occasion in a memorable victory over the All Blacks at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane last October.

Qantas Wallabies captain Michael Hooper said the jersey holds special meaning for the players.

“It is an absolute privilege to wear the gold jersey every time you get to represent your country on the Rugby field and having the opportunity to wear the Indigenous design has a special significance.

“The whole team was really honoured to run out in the Indigenous jersey last year to recognise not only the role of Indigenous players in the Wallabies throughout history but as a broader recognition of Indigenous culture and its importance in our country.

“I was pleased that we were able to play in a way that was fitting of the occasion in Brisbane last year and we are very keen to come up with a strong performance again in London at the end of our tour.

“New Zealand and England are two of our closest rivals on the sporting field, no matter what sport you talk about, so I think it’s very fitting that we will play our first two matches in this special jersey against these two teams,” Hooper said.

The Qantas Wallabies broke a seven-match losing streak against New Zealand when they first wore the Indigenous jersey, coming away with a 23-18 victory at Suncorp Stadium on October 21, 2017.

The jersey was extremely popular among Wallabies fans last year, with a first run of the specially- designed selling out in just days.

The jersey is manufactured by the Wallabies’ official performance apparel partner, Asics, and is available for purchase now from Wallaby Shop (shop.rugby.com.au).

Share