The Wallaroos were given a timely boost in spirits this week by the unveiling of the winning design for their inaugural First Nations jersey.
Created by Seantelle Walsh, a Noongar Yorga Artist from Perth, the design was selected from 29 submissions and will be turned into a jersey in the same fashion as the Wallabies’ hugely popular indigenous strip.
The First Nations jersey is not likely to be ready to wear until the 2021 season, due to the lengthy timelines involved in manufacturing, but it may be worn as Australia's main jersey in the Rugby World Cup in that year.
Wallaroos skipper Grace Hamilton and indigenous fullback Mahalia Murphy were on a three-person judging panel, along with Rugby Australia head of women’s rugby Jilly Collins.
MAHALIA MURPHY'S PRIDE IN JUDGING INDIGENOUS JERSEY DESIGN
The design was shown to the Wallaroos squad, and explained by Walsh, on Monday in Perth after the Aussie women’s team remained in camp in WA following their loss to the Black Ferns at Optus Stadium.
Though a world record crowd for a women’s rugby Test was achieved at Optus Stadium, the Wallaroos were shattered to be beaten 47-10 by the no.1 ranked team in the world.
The Wallaroos travelled to Auckland on Wednesday ahead of Saturday’s return fixture in the Laurie O’Reilly Memorial Trophy, which will again be played as a double header with the Bledisloe Cup game at Eden Park.
The Wallaroos will be hoping to redeem themselves and seeing their First Nations design was undoubtedly a lifter at the start of the week.
Collins said members of the Wallaroos team had kicked off the creation of their own First Nations jersey after the arrival of the Wallabies’ jersey.
"The Wallaroos, through Emily Robinson and Sarah Riordan, approached me on it and they’d seen the First Nations jersey for the Wallabies and said this is something we’d love to do for the Wallaroos as well,” Collins said.
"My feedback was absolutely but what I don’t want to do is get the design the Wallabies have created and put a Wallaroos logo on it.
"I wanted it to be a really meaningful process for the girls as well. We went through that tender and selection process, and had Mahalia and Grace involved in the process, and it was really important to meet the artist and talk about her background and her heritage, firstly so they had a real ownwership over that process.
"And we were really clear in the tender process and design, that we wanted the process to involve some strong traditional values about women in Australia, throughout our history. The strength and great qualities of women.”
The detail and meaning in Walsh’s design will be explained in greater detail by the artist when the jersey is launched, Collins said.
Asked if the jersey might be ready before 2021, Collins said the timeline was down to the manufacturing process.
"Because it is an original design and we now have to work with Asics and Seantelle on how that transfers from a piece of art onto a jersey, and then sampling colours and so on, the lead time is 12-15 months on that work,” Collins said.
"So it's just a process to go through, and because it is a World Cup year when it comes out, it won’t surprise me if that is the jersey we decide to play in at for some or all of the World Cup, subject to World Rugby approvals and so on.
"I guess it was an initial “oh, wow” and we thought we’d be able to design it this year for next year but actually because of the lead-in times, it’s just a bit longer.
“So in the 2021 season we will wear the jersey but it’s yet to be confirmed exactly when.”
The Wallabies take on New Zealand at Eden Park, Auckland, on Saturday August 17, kicking off at 5.45pm AEST, with the Wallaroos-Black Ferns kicking off at 3pm AEST. The Wallabies are LIVE on Network Ten, FOX SPORTS, Kayo Sports and RUGBY.com.au RADIO while the Wallaroos will be shown on FOX SPORTS, Kayo Sports and via RUGBY.com.au RADIO.
