Stephen Perofeta models the Blues' 2026 home jersey. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz
Super Rugby Pacific doesn't kick off until February but you could argue the first round happened today, as the five original New Zealand teams unveiled their jersey range for next season.
2026 marks 30 years since the original Super 12 competition started, so interest was high in how the teams would mark the anniversary.
Here's what they came up with:
Blues
The Blues away jersey for 2026. Photo: supplied
The Blues have the fondest memories of the 1996 season, given that they won Super 12 and set the tone for the wildly popular first few years of professional rugby. So it's no surprise they've leaned heavily on their original Auckland Blues strip for their home jersey, which will likely go down well given its association with success.
The away jersey though…let's just say this going to split opinion. It looks far more like it's channelling design energy from Cricket Max shirts rather than rugby, but at least it's the right colour combination.
Martin Crowe and the original Cricket Max captains model their uniforms in 1996. Photo: Alan Lee / www.photosport.nz
Chiefs
Chiefs jerseys for 2026. Photo: supplied
Not sure whether the Chiefs actually got the brief for a throwback redesign, because their jerseys look more or less the same as they did last year. The probable explanation is that they've actually already done a '96 throwback jersey back in 2019, but this still feels pretty lazy.
Hurricanes
Hurricanes jerseys for 2026. Photo: supplied
The cult team of the competition's early years will get a lot of love for these throwbacks, even though the Canes had a rough introduction to Super 12 with only three wins in their first season. However, all anyone really cares about that season was Christian Cullen's iconic try at the Sydney Football Stadium, so the original jersey has that nostalgia tied to it.
The away jersey is the same with the black and yellow reversed, the last time the Canes did that, they won their only title.
Crusaders
Crusaders jerseys 2026. Photo: supplied
The one team that was dreading any sort of 1996 remembrance is the Crusaders, who came dead last in Super 12's inaugural season. So it's no surprise that their throwback jersey is their official third strip, although it admittedly looks very clean and is unlikely to contribute to any sort of failure given the Crusaders are the defending champions.
Their home and away jerseys are similar to recent years, with the Southern Alps motif across the front and their sponsor logo quite well integrated into the design.
Highlanders
The Highlanders haven't had a lot to brag about since their only title win in 2015, but they may well have banked another victory here. They brought out the big guns in Jeff Wilson and Ben Smith to launch their 2026 range, which has the same design as the inaugural season and the same shade of dark blue from 2015 - and have already got the thumbs up from fans across social media.
Classy stuff from the southern men, these should sell pretty well and hopefully inspire the players in what will be another challenging season.
