Springboks to play in red against Pumas
SA Rugby (SARU) has unveiled a limited-edition alternate jersey in the red of the South African flag which the Springboks will wear against Argentina in Salta.
The jersey marks the 25th anniversary of rugby unity in South Africa.
The red Springbok jersey completes a "jigsaw puzzle" of playing and training apparel, all in the colours of the national flag.
"We wanted to mark the 25th anniversary of rugby in South Africa in a striking and memorable way and in partnership with ASICS came up with this bold alternate strip," says SARU CEO Jurie Roux.
"We chose the colours of the flag as a uniting symbol and believed that red made the boldest statement as a tribute to the achievement of rugby unity, which was completed before democracy arrived in South Africa."
Roux says the red jersey is a symbol of the conclusion of one era and the starting of a new one: "It is commonplace for national teams to be creative with their alternate playing kits but it is not something we have done with our white alternate jersey in South Africa before.
"The traditionalists might miss a heartbeat but we need to move with the times as a sport and it's 111 years since a South African rugby team first wore a white jersey so it's not something we've rushed into. We think this makes a statement, it will definitely be a collector's item," says Roux.