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Australian Rugby Union today unveiled an exciting new-look for the Australian Sevens team – a lime green playing strip to be worn for the first time when the HSBC Sevens World Series kicks off at Skilled Park with the Gold Coast Sevens Fever Pitch tournament on 25-26 November.

Designed by ARU apparel partner KooGa, through the company’s Sevens-specific brand “Seviin”, the vibrant mix of lime and navy moves away from the traditional gold as the Australian Sevens team strikes its own identity on Rugby’s world stage.

In a further change to the Sevens kit, the Australian team will proudly wear the Coat of Arms on the left breast of the jersey. It was a position previously filled by the Australian Sevens logo, which now moves to the right hand side following Government approval for use of the Coat of Arms.

The status of Sevens Rugby has grown significantly in recent years, and the game’s admittance to the Olympic Games from 2016 in Rio de Janeiro provides further potential to increase profile, popularity and participation.

ARU General Manager of Sevens and Asia/Pacific Relations, Peter Friend, said the time was right with Sevens Rugby entering a new era in its history for the Australian team to take on a bold appearance.

“Sevens is exciting, daring and played at a fever pitch,” said Mr Friend. “Consistent with this, we have created in conjunction with KooGa a new jersey for our national Sevens teams.
“The new colour scheme is bright, explosive and readily recognisable.”

The jersey, to be on debut at the inaugural Gold Coast Sevens next week, will also be adopted by the World Cup champion Australian Women’s Sevens team.

Mr Friend said the importance of the changes extended beyond the colour scheme.

“The inclusion of the national crest is important, and the embossed Southern Cross recognises that while Sevens is a variation from traditional Rugby, there are similarities in the designs worn by the Australian Sevens teams and the Wallabies,” he said.

KooGa Managing Director Tyron Brant said his company’s objective was to tailor playing kit for the unique demands of Sevens players, incorporating the new lightweight 4D fabric exclusive to the Seviin brand.

“Seviin is the world’s first dedicated Sevens Rugby brand,” he said. “We are worn by some of the world’s premier Sevens Rugby teams, including Australia.

“As for the new Australian Sevens jersey, we wanted to introduce something clean and fresh but still Australian. We combined Wallaby Gold and the alternate colour of Australia – navy – and came up with a vibrant lime green.”

The Australian team, in final preparations for the Fever Pitch tournament which opens next Friday, viewed the new strip for the first time at their Noosa training camp last week and coach Michael O’Connor agreed the design was especially relevant to Sevens.

“I think it looks smart and it’s very modern,” he said.

“It is a bright jersey, it stands out, and it certainly says ‘look at me’.

“Sevens Rugby is about bright colours, a vibrant atmosphere and most importantly fun. This jersey represents that and we’re excited to wear it for the first time.”

Newly-appointed Australian Sevens skipper, Ed Jenkins, said he fully supported the direction takenc with the design.

“All the boys are really excited to be given our own identity with this new-look jersey and kit,” he said.

“It might be a little different to what Australian Rugby jerseys have traditionally looked like but Australia is as much green as it is gold and this colour is perfectly suited to the excitement and vibe created at Sevens tournaments.

“The Sevens game is growing in its own right and we saw with England last season that a new jersey adds a new energy to a team.

“We have a younger group than most in the HSBC Sevens World Series and I think this jersey really suits what we’re about.”

For more information about the inaugural Gold Coast Sevens – Fever Pitch Tournament visit www.goldcoastfeverpitch.com.au or Facebook.