Durban
Springbok fans are hopping mad over the new World Cup strip which has seen the Bok logo moved to the sleeve and the South African flag flying on the buttocks.
With barely 100 days to go to the start of the Rugby World Cup in England, the Boks launched their World Cup kit at a glitzy ceremony in Cape Town on Thursday with Bok stars, including captain Jean de Villiers, Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira and Sharks flyhalf Pat Lambie roped in for the event.
Musicians such as Johnny Clegg were part of the event too.
But, as the players took to the ramp and modelled the new kit, many Bok fans took to social media to voice their outrage at the virtual absence of the springbok – which appears, much diminished in size, on the left sleeve.
Twitter and the official Springbok Facebook page were bombarded with hundreds of comments as upset fans expressed their disappointment.
However on Friday morning there were 1 686 “likes” for the new kit with the picture shared 144 times.
On Facebook, Quinton Milton du Plessis, said the Boks would not win a World Cup again without the springbok displayed on the chest. In both SA World Cup trophy wins, in 1995 and 2007, the Bok emblem had been displayed on the front of the kit.
“Every year Saru finds new ways of disappointing their supporters and still no springbok on the chest: mark my words as long as that springbok is on the sleeve SA will not win another RWC,” he said.
Twitter user @NotDeKock said sarcastically: “Love having our flag on the a**. Much more important than a bok on a sleeve.”
Some thought the decision was political.
Hermann Viljoen said: “Political interference by our corrupt government.”
Maurits Wilhelm said: “Where the hell is the proud Bok emblem? Take away that ridiculous Protea! I smell ANC mingling in this design… Not worth being called a Springbok jersey then.”
Another Facebooker, Derek Goosen, wondered: “Don’t like this at all; where is the Springbok?”
Ryan Irvine said it looked cheap: “The Protea rugby team no longer the Springboks. Looks cheap. Will wear my old ones instead.”
SA Rugby Union spokesman, Andy Colquhoun, said the decision to move the logo was due to the World Rugby regulations, which stated that the front of the jersey was for the branding of the competition and the logo for the national sports emblem.
“There was no room for the Bok logo on the front so we moved it to the sleeve. This is the second World Cup where this has happened, even in 2011, the Bok emblem was on the sleeve,” he said.
Colquhoun said the size of the springbok on the sleeve was also determined by the regulations of the World Rugby body.
Asked about the SA flag being positioned on the buttocks, he said he had not noticed and said he was not part of the design team.
“This is only for the World Cup,” he said. “(At the launch) nobody mentioned or asked anything about this,” he said referring to questions about the positions of the flag and Bok logo.
He said a post-tournament jersey would have the Bok logo return to the front of the jersey on the right side of the chest.
But there were a few people who were in support of the Bok emblem being moved.
Garry Allsopp, or @garryallsopp on Twitter, said: “#BoksInASICS about time that springbok was moved. Not a unifying symbol for most South Africans”.
Johann Pollard said: “I like it. Move with the times people.”