'I'd love to see that': Current and ex-Super Rugby stars want names on jerseys
Current and former Super Rugby stars say they would like to see player names feature on the back of playing jerseys in Super Rugby Pacific.
Speaking on the Aotearoa Rugby Pod, Crusaders halfback Bryn Hall and former Blues hooker James Parsons threw support behind the concept, which has become commonplace in professional sport worldwide.
Teams competing leading sports competitions such as the NBA, NFL and Premier League have profited hugely off having the names of marquee players on the back of their playing jerseys, shirts and singlets for many decades now.
Even in rugby, the use of player names on the back of jerseys has been used by clubs in European competitions like the Premiership, as well as countries competing on the World Sevens Series circuit.
However, teams in Super Rugby is yet to adopt such a feature, which Hall believes could be a lucrative marketing tool.
“I’m a big advocate for American sports,” Hall, a five-time Super Rugby champion with the Crusaders, told the Aotearoa Rugby Pod.
“If you look at a Tom Brady and the likes of those players, the really high-end NFL players, the amount of marketable money that they make for their clubs, just due to the fact of their jersey sales, is great.
“I know for us as players, it’d be great to see that and being able to have fans that you can see just walking along the street and they’ve got your name on their back and it’s really cool to see.
“I’m not too sure if the [New Zealand] Rugby Players’ Association and New Zealand Rugby could collaborate in being able to get an idea if that could be done, because I know you can make really good money out of it.
“It’s been seen in the NFL, baseball, all over in America, and you see it in grounds, you see [fans] turning their back and putting their favourite players that they’ve got on the back of their shirts.
“For us as players, I know really enjoy it. I’d love to see that happen, and so it’s maybe something that can happen in the future, hopefully.”
Parsons, the former Blues captain and centurion who now works as player services manager for the New Zealand Rugby Players’ Association, said that previous discussions have been had about the idea of names on playing jerseys in Super Rugby.
However, the former two-test All Blacks hooker told the Aotearoa Rugby Pod that those conversations fell flat for reasons unknown to him.
Nevertheless, Parsons added that he is also keen on the concept, provided the numbers on the playing jerseys remain unchanged, unlike in other sports where players get to choose the number they wear.
“I’m a fan of the names, but I’d like the numbers to remain. I wouldn’t want to go as far as guys picking their own number,” Parsons told the Aotearoa Rugby Pod.
“As you know, I’m a traditionalist, so keeping the fabric of our game throughout its development would be key for me, but I think it’s a great idea.
“We see it time and time again, as you’ve both alluded to with the NBA and NFL. I’ve bought many a singlet and top to connect with the team or a certain player, so I think it’d be exciting.
“I know there’s been discussions many a time before about it, but it just hasn’t transpired, so it’s definitely something that we can put into the mixer as we look to move forward with Super Rugby and our other teams.”
Hall agreed with the assertion that the numbers on playing jerseys shouldn’t change, but noted that Super Rugby Pacific teams could go one step further and introduce throwback jerseys as another way to boost their profitability.
“The Warriors do it really, really well,” Hall told the Aotearoa Rugby Pod of the New Zealand-based NRL club.
“I don’t know how many jerseys they have, they’ve got that many jerseys, but I loved seeing that heritage, that grand final jersey that they wore [last] weekend against the Roosters.
“Again, it’s something that you can connect back with the people that have gone [before you]. You look at the 2002 Warriors team and they can see that, and then the players are able to represent that knowing what jersey meant all that time ago.
“I’ve even seen on some social media sites, whether that be the Legend of Marty Banks or different Instagram handles, being able to see fans that have made heritage jerseys.
“I’ve even seen them as players and we’re like, ‘Man, those are really cool jerseys, we actually wouldn’t mind playing in those jerseys for a round or heritage round or whatever it may be’. I definitely think there is money to be made in that space.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Je suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
25 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
25 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
25 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
25 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
11 Go to comments