Six Nations ditch decades-old rugby jersey tradition to ‘attract’ new fans
Six Nations match Scotland vs France.Referee Nic Berry (RA) exchanges word with captains Gregory Alldritt of France & Finn Russell of Scotland
First, it was names on the back of the jerseys; now, Six Nations teams will no longer wear change kits at home going forward.
Fans will have noticed that France donned their alternate kit when they faced off against Scotland at Murrayfield in round two of the 2024 Six Nations.
Why the home Six Nations teams are not wearing their away kits?
Traditionally, in rugby, the home team would wear their alternative jersey in the case of kit clashes, but this will no longer be the case in Six Nations matches.
According to a report by the Telegraph, the decision to abolish the long-standing tradition is in an “effort to attract more casual viewers”. The tradition stretched back over 75 years but was reversed ahead of this year’s Six Nations.
Kit clashes are incredibly common in the Six Nations, as France, Italy, and Scotland’s home kits are all blue. Previously, the home team would wear their change strip, allowing the visitors to wear their conventional kit.
The Telegraph adds that the round two clash was the first time since 1948 that France wore their white kit at Murrayfield.
The decision to ditch the old tradition came along with the Six Nations’ call to feature players’ names on the back of their jerseys, akin to footballers.
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It’s unclear whether the change in tradition will extend beyond the 2024 Six Nations but we will see if the southern hemisphere nations are on board with the change as South Africa and Ireland will face off in two Test matches in July.
“It’s a modernising of the protocol,” a source told the Telegraph.
Meanwhile, it has also been confirmed that from 2024, the visiting team will wear their change kit when Ireland and Wales face off. This is an attempt to be more inclusive for supporters who suffer from colour vision deficiency (CVD).
READ MORE: Six Nations: Why Ireland and Wales will face off in green and red jerseys for the final time