The Crusaders will ditch the knights-on-horseback from their brand and games, and will consider changing names as well, in the wake of the Christchurch attacks last month.
The champion New Zealand Super Rugby franchise announced in the wake of the horrific attacks on the Christchurch mosque that they would review the Crusaders name and imagery, due to their perceived links to the religious Crusades wars between Chrisitians and Muslims.
That announcement prompted yet more strong debate but the Crusaders have already made moves to change, with the traditional pre-game show of knights circling the field on horseback being cut from the club’s first home game on Saturday since the attacks, against the Brumbies.
The Crusaders and New Zealand Rugby announced on Wednesday they will now be engaging an independent research company, Research First, to facilitate further change by seeking feedback and providing recommendations on the Crusaders’ team name and brand.
NZR boss Steve Tew said the two possible options would be to either keep the Crusaders name but with an all-new brand look and imagery, or “undertake a complete rebranding, including the name and all imagery”.
“Maintaining the status quo in terms of the Crusaders name along with the current imagery of knights on horseback is, in our view, no longer tenable because of the association with the religious Crusades that has now been drawn,” Tew said in a statement.
“That is therefore not one of the options that we will be considering.”
In the joint statement, Crusader chief executive Colin Mainsbridge explained the origin of the Crusaders name being reflective of Christchurch’s English heritage.
“When the first year of Super Rugby kicked off in 1996, the Crusaders title was chosen for the side representing the provincial unions from the top half of the South Island and the brand was built on a stylised version of medieval England, in a nod to the English heritage of Christchurch,” Mainsbridge said.
“The club’s marketing over the past 23 years has incorporated the pageantry of knights and horsemen, and included symbols such as swords and banners.
“Because of our desire to be the best we can be and to support our community, we are treating the question around the appropriateness of our brand extremely seriously. We are committed to undertaking a thorough process, taking into account all relevant opinions and, most importantly, we are committed to doing the right thing.”
Tew said the Crusaders name and symbolism had come to represent something more than just a simple English connection.
“In the wake of the Christchurch attacks, it is apparent that the symbolism the club has used, combined with the ‘Crusaders’ name, is offensive to some in the community due to its association with the religious Crusades between Christians and Muslims,” Tew said.
“One thing that has become very clear in the last two weeks is that there are divided opinions on the best way forward for the brand. We understand and appreciate the passionate feedback that we are receiving on both sides of the conversation, and at this stage we are committed to keeping an open mind until the independent research has been done.”
Mainsbridge said the Crusaders were proud of their positive contribution to the community of Christchuuch and the region, particularly given many of the tragedies it has suffered in recent times.
“The team has played an important role in helping galvanise the community and raise spirits following significant events. Through these events, the Crusaders name has become more reflective of a positive Crusade,” he said.
“We have already stated our commitment to undertaking a thorough process and to do so is going to take time. It will not be possible to arrive at a final decision and respond in our brand, wardrobe and insignia before the end of this season, but the outcome for any decision will be reflected in our marketing material, playing kit and at-game experience for the 2020 season. We will remain the Crusaders for the rest of the 2019 season.”
