The collar has returned to the Wallabies jersey as winger Dylan Pietsch expresses his delight at seeing the new look design has been unveiled for the 2025 British and Irish Lions.
Pietsch's design was launched on Tuesday, less than nine months out from the opening Test between the Lions and Wallabies on July 19 at Suncorp Stadium.
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It incorporates a First Nations design on the back that depicts the cities involved in the tour as part of the connection, a key theme of Pietsch's art.
Images of a Wallaby and Lion at equal eye level on the armpit signify the respect between the two nations before they go into battle.
Pietsch, who has designed the NSW Waratahs and Australia U20s jerseys in the past, has been involved in the design process since the 2023 Rugby World Cup, well before his Test debut in July.
Now, the winger is an established member of the squad and took pride in sharing the design with his teammates and the potential of pulling it on next year.
"It's a really cool feeling to be able to see it and wear it," he said. "To have your design on the jersey is always a special moment no matter what jersey it is but for it to be a Wallabies jersey is a really proud moment.
"...All I've wanted to be doing since I was little is to play for the Wallabies. For me personally, I wouldn't have deemed my career a success without being one.
"I'm really stoked. It's been a really cool year for me."
The process started during Pietsch's stint with the Barbarians almost 14 months ago and the winger kept in under wraps from teammates until close to the date.
During this time, the winger had extra motivation to make his Test debut and ensure he could experience both passions shining on the big stage.
"It's a weird feeling. Every time someone would ask me about it, I'd just brush it off but it's really cool to be able to do it," Pietsch said.
"To be able to wear the Wallaby gold is really special and also to hopefully be able to in the Lions tour."
Pietsch became the 15th Indigenous player in Wallabies history to pull on the jersey, continuing his rise after featuring for Australia at the Tokyo Olympics.
Since then, the Wiradjuri man has been proud of the growth within the sport of celebrating and embracing the First Nations culture.
"Yeah massive (change) since I started, there wasn't really much talked about and I really think that Rugby Australia has been a pretty big part (of changing this)," he added.
"Singing the song in Gadigal at Commbank (in 2020 against Argentina) was a big thing in changing the anthem and having the Wallabies jersey for the past eight years is a really big thing as a staple, not just a one-off round.
"It's really special to acknowledge Aboriginal culture as a consistent basis and not a one-off or anything like that."
