There seems to be method to the Springboks’ jersey madness

The Springboks were the talk of the town on Sunday, not only for their opening Rugby World Cup win, but also for their away kit ...

The South Africans’ teal and white jersey – with teal shorts to match – has garnered a lot of debate, with fans loving and hating it in equal measure.

One person who was very clear on his feeling about the jersey was former Springboks captain, John Smit.

“Great start Boks, I still can’t handle that jersey though,” said Smit on X, the social media platform formerly knows as Twitter.

One of the replies who his post read: “Checkers must have paid a lot to have those colours (laughing emoji)”.

To many the kit debate may seem trivial, but there is a reason why the Springboks may feature a lot more in this current strip instead of their traditional green and gold jersey.

September 6 is World Colour Blind Awareness Day, and World Rugby – in a bid to improve their inclusivity – said for the for 2023 Rugby World Cup, it had worked closely with the participating rugby unions and Colour Blind Awareness (CBA) to encourage certain kit combinations in an effort to avoid kit ‘clashes’.

Kits with colours that appear too similar to colour blind people due to a lack of sufficient colour contrast or designs should be adjusted where possible, while being mindful of manufacturing and commercial considerations.

An example of a clashing kit colour would be when Portugal take on Wales in a Group C encounter in Nice on September 16, where the Welsh alternate kit (black) would have clashed with Portugal's primary kit (dark red).

The two team have confirmed they will each wear their alternative kit in support of the cause. Other participating teams have also committed to show their support by wearing alternate jerseys for certain games including Georgia, Ireland, Tonga, including the Springboks.

Kit testing along with broadcast kit testing started in early in 2023 on the RWC 2023 primary and alternate kits of each team plus the match officials kits to ensure maximum contrast between the kits of both teams and match officials.

In some instances preferred kit combinations were changed due to perceived lack of contrast for broadcast reasons for all viewers.

With player welfare in mind, kits were also considered not just from the perspective of fans watching on TV or in the stadium but also from the perspective of any colour blind players and match officials.

Off the pitch, those who are colour blind will be able to benefit from sufficient colour differentiation in areas like ticketing, accreditation, venue and directional signage, digital platforms and others.

So, by the looks of it, Siya Kolisi’s Springboks won’t be wearing their home kit if they play away from South Africa and will have to depend on the coin toss at this World Cup to wear their traditional kit.

@AliciaPillay56