The Springboks fixtures for 2023 have been announced. Picture: Matt Browne/Sportsfile/Gallo Images
The Springboks playing the All Blacks in white, or vice versa, could be the norm as early as this year’s World Cup if World Rugby’s proposal to adopt a contentious colour-blindness policy comes into effect.
Two years ago, World Rugby indicated they wanted to enforce this policy in an effort to make viewing rugby matches easier for people with colour vision deficiency (CVD).
It is especially difficult for people who suffer with colour-blindness when teams with red and green jersey colours are playing each other – just think of a Wales-Ireland clash.
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It’s thought this will only be adopted in 2025, but World Rugby have fast-tracked it and are working with nations to avoid CVD colour clashes at this year’s World Cup. It’s reported that more than 300 million worldwide suffer from some form of CVD.
Globally, one in 12 men are affected by the condition, compared to one in 200 women. It’s experienced by 8% of male rugby fans and 0.5% of female supporters.
Australia have already accepted that they will play in a white jersey in their World Cup match against Portugal on 1 October, but the Springboks and All Blacks are reportedly against the proposed change.
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The Springboks and All Blacks have won six of the nine World Cups between them and have played each other on 103 occasions – arguably world rugby’s greatest rivalry.
Some will argue it’s just a change in colour of a jersey, what’s the big deal? While all avenues to make the sport comfortable to watch for all fans must be taken, has the necessary research been done? It hasn’t been a problem for the previous 103 Tests between the nations, so why now?
So much is said about the tradition and honour of putting the green and gold jersey on for a Test match for the Boks. Doing so with a white and green jersey just doesn’t have the same ring to it, does it?
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