Let’s be honest, the jerseys (or jumpers) that the New Zealand Super Rugby teams have worn over the last two seasons have been, for the most part, pretty boring. That’s all set to change in 2014, with brand new designs for all five teams.
While the Bulls caused a bit of a stir yesterday with their “camo-chique” design, the Kiwi teams pretty much gone back to their roots, with the designs attempting to reflect the regions they represent. While some will think the chain-mail effect on the Crusaders’ jersey is perhaps a little tacky, I think it works quite well, with the silver-grey of the away strip, in particular, doing a very good job of showing off the design.
The Chiefs will play festooned in Maori tattoos – on their jerseys as well as many of the bodies – while the Blues have strayed from the script a little in coming up with a strange geometric design that’s meant to represent mountains and frangipani flowers (or something to that effect). The Hurricanes haven’t strayed too far from their now-entrenched “swirling wind” motif, but it does seem to have been done better in 2014, with the dark grey and black away jersey – which hearkens back to the original Wellington colours – a real stunner.
My favourite pair, though, belongs to the Highlanders. Their away kit is still green (that caused some uproar when it was first introduced a few years back) but now reflects the Caledonian roots of the region by incorporating Celtic designs. The home jersey, though, is the real winner – a deeper, almost indigo, blue has been used, with only the faintest accents of yellow and maroon reminding us of the colours used when the franchise was first launched back in the mid 90s.
You can see all the jerseys in the below image, and read more about them here.

I like it.
looking at these, maybe wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if the Sharks went a little “off script” themselves when it came to the away jersey.
A predominantly white strip, incorporating a Zulu bead art pattern around the edges, perhaps?
@Letgo (Comment 1) : Same here. Certainly better than the past few years.
I badly want a Landers home jersey and a Canes away jersey.
Pipe dream, of course, because I would never buy or wear another team’s colours…. but man, they look amazing.
Have we gone from lambieworld to fashionworld today?
I like the Crusaders away jersey!
But I think both of the Chief’s ones are rubbish π
I like both the Blues and Chiefs home strips.
Hehe if you want to go the ethnic Durbs route for an away outfit why not have complete white strip with the red edging around the sleeves and bottom of the shorts? π
Must say I don’t think all their jerseys are nice, some are actually crap. Blues jersey usually looks good. Still think the bulls and puma got something going with a traditional home kit and a funky away kit. S15 should be fun, keep tradition for cc!
Not impressed with those jerseys. The only one that looks kinda good is the Saders away Jersey, slight resemblence to the Sharks jersey.
Holy fuck, when did rugby become this gentrified.
I though Rob’s article was tongue-in-cheek, until I read his comments!
@VinChainSaw (Comment 11) : π― i had to google gentrified, and still dont know what you mean π π
@McLovin (Comment 5) :
Did you ever really think there is a difference?
@West Indies Cricket Board (Comment 12) :
Lol.
Blue’s jersey is fresh, the question is will they be able to defend a driving maul this year? π
Hurricanes away kit looks really good! π
Chiefs and Blues jersey would do well in the IPL π (I actually like theirs).
Landers one is a bit plain. Saders away jersey would be my pick, subtle design.
Hope the tahs do something special to go with their running style of rugby
I like the Blues home and away, Canes away and the Highlanders home strip is passable. The rest will probably suffice for gift wrapping purposes.
BlitzBokke into Dubai final π
Kiwi’s crushed by Fiji 44 – 0 in their semi-final π―
Are we getting a Baabaas thread seeing as it’s just about a Sharks side facing Fiji at twickers β π
I see that miserable yellow rugby-chan site somehow found reason to single out Lambie as being the disappointment of the Barbarian game. π
Then folks still wonder why we keep defending Lambie on this site. One eyed web admins willing to say anything to generate a few extra comments. πΏ eedzits π‘
@FireTheLooser (Comment 21) :Looks like he is struggling with his confidence.
I feel Lambie does need some tuning to his game. He tends to get stuck into rucks often-probably as a result of playing flatter and therefore closer to the line. His kicking is starting to look shaky and he sometimes straightens just to test the defensive line( he should rather leave that for the inside center and only break if he spots tight forwards and staggered defense in front of him).
Lambie, at the age of 23 has played a shit load of top flight Rugby, that leaves any peers in his age bracket in the dust.
The guy needs confidence and consistency.
@Talent (Comment 23) : I believe the set-up at the Sharks will do him a world of good.
He’ll benefit from JW’s man management and the structures around him, which will aid in getting HM out of his head.
The Springbok setup has dented Lambie’s confidence: With MornΓ© Steyn the coach always finds reason as to why he SHOULD be wearing the 10 jersey.
With Lambie the coach always finds excuses as to why he should NOT be wearing the 10 jersey.
Any player under constant scrutiny from the coaches as to why he shouldn’t play for the Boks will have his confidence dented.
HM isn’t the only one that’s looking for a reason to play lambie, I’m also finding it hard to come up with any….
@KingsArmy (Comment 25) : Hmmm doesnt change the fact the Steyn is a hopeless one trick pony.
Anyway your opinion is rather important π
@KingsArmy (Comment 25) : @Talent (Comment 26) : Fact5 is Lambie has never been afforded the opportunities MS has been afforded nor will he be afforded the license Goosen will be afforded.
HM does not like Lambie’s style. He is so bent on not using Lambie that he’d rather use FdP to run the game from 9 until his golden boy Goosen is able to do it from 10.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 27) : I understand ur upset that ur favorite player doesn’t get his due opportunity, but jantjies also hasn’t had the opportunity’s that steyn’s had. Neither had peter grand, that’s just the way the cookie crumble. U either are in the coaches plan or ur not. Lambie is not the only player that’s gonna lose out and HM isn’t the only coach that got his favorite players, all coaches do.
@KingsArmy (Comment 28) : Well that’s exactly the point, so instead of HM telling Lambie that everything he does is inferior as a Springbok, ultimately breaking Lambie’s confidence and ruining his career, he should just admit that Lambie will never fit into his “superior” game plan (which off-course he’ll never do).
HM’s game plan, sadly falls flat when FdP is not available. We do not have any scrumhalves able to run the game from 9. What we all of a sudden have is an excess of flyhalves more than able and willing to run the game from 10.
The coaches are unable to adapt their game-plan to have the flyhalve run the game from 10!
It is no small reason that the Springboks have only ever had any real success in the professional era when Joost and FdP played.
Thankfully JW won’t be taking advice from HM, and I reckon JW will be a thorn in HM’s side. I don’t foresee too many Sharks players sticking to their prescribed extra curricular Springbok coaching/training/tips.
I trust that JW will get Lambie to do what Lambie does best, and the Springbok coach with his inferior assistant coaches and technical ability be dammed.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 29) : Preach on! As much as I love the Boks, I will much rather have my Sharks dominating and all their players happy and not playing for the Boks,than what we are seeing happening with Pat now. Plus even with Tom Taylor available, Steve Hansen let Lambie play all 80 minutes at flyhalf, so obviously the coach of the best performing team in the world rates him. I am just worried about Lambie’s place kicking, he used to be an 80 percent kicker until Koen got hold of him.
How do one topic about Nzl jerseys end up to be a discussion about Lambie ? π―
@Zibbie (Comment 31) : Because it is LambieWorld
Bissie didn’t get his fair chance under pdivvy and luke didn’t get his fair chance under jwhite…..shit happens! Don’t think HM cares what white does at the sharks to be honest. Most of the sharks bokke will do what HM tell them, cause they all want to go to the worldcup. Except for TH and 10 HM did realy well this year, hopefully malherbe and goosen will play some more next year. Psdt and hopefully one nr9 will stick their hand up next year also. Most people think bokke is on the right track with players and gameplan. Conditioning need some work, AB are a bit fitter than us[HM words not mine, but think most people would agree], but that must get fix at superrugby level not at the bok training camps. Bokke has definitely make a step up from last year. 12 test in both years, 20+ tries to 40+ tries; 200+ points to 400+ points. Let’s rather support them then badmouthing them .
@KingsArmy (Comment 33) : You do forget one thing, that is that this is a Sharks fan blog. I am pretty sure when you go onto similar page for eg the Stormers, you will findpeople bitch and moan that they want the greek as Bok 10.
@KingsArmy (Comment 33) : I support the Boks, but let’s be realistic – without FdP we’ve looked rather average.
HM’s gameplan starts and stops with FdP, his only other master plan is Goosen. What’s the use of being the country that has the most depth in rugby when you are not utilising that depth.
Springbok rugby keeps on rebuilding every four years because none of the coaches are willing to develop for the future, they’re all concerned with their time at the Boks.
10 years on and we’re still relying on FdP. After FdP we’ll be back to square one, same with JdV & Jaque Fourie (although, credit here has to go to HM for bringing guys like JJ and Serfontein in, clearly developing them for the future), Habanna – see the common thread, all backline players developed under JW.
Who’s being developed as the future scrumhalf and flyhalf? We do not have scrumhalves able to control the game from 9, time to adapt the gameplan.
@Zibbie (Comment 31) : Well seeing as a certain yellow bellied site decided to single out Lambie’s performance for criticism, I guess the Black and White site needs to speak up.
You’re welcome to defend Elton on eltonworld. π
@FireTheLooser (Comment 35) :
im not saying you souldent defend Lambie π . its a free world . you can defend what ever player you like .
im just laughing cause you guys turn an arti about Nzl rugby teams into a discussion about Lambie
Anyways ! i like the Saders away Jersey !
@FireTheLooser (Comment 35) : I agree with some of what u saying, we’ve looked plain without fdp, never been a pienaar fan and its a pitty that no young 9 has really put his hand up yet, but don’t think we should change the gameplan because of that. Bokke will never out run the AB, kick and smother them is the only way. Hopefully a 9 comes through next year….
Not massively impressed with the Stormers offering…
http://thestormers.com/2014-dhl-stormers-kit-unlocked/
@VinChainSaw (Comment 38) : I’ll get a story up about that tomorrow.
Short answer is that I like the away jersey but think the home one is gash
@VinChainSaw (Comment 38) : I’m getting nervous now – what will the Sharks be revealing?
Streamers outfit has some serious 80’s retro overtones.
@Zibbie (Comment 36) : dude they are Bambie bevok onthis site ,I am so wrong about posters on bedroom walls it goes much farther ,I sure they have shrines in the bedrooms
@robdylan (Comment 39) : Stormers kit does not look nice but must say it’s way better than the Bulls, just saw it in a shop today and that away green camo looks like baby shit! π Hope the Sharks kit looks better than this.