After a lengthy process, the Crusaders Super Rugby franchise have decided to stick with their current name for the foreseeable future.
Post the Christchurch shooting earlier this year, the franchise faced criticism for using a name heavily tied to religious wars that werewaged between the 10th and 13th centuries.
A statement released by the Crusaders shortly after the event acknowledged the criticism and a formal process has since taken place to determine the way forward.
Today, the Crusaders confirmed that the name would be retained but some fairly significant rebranding would still take place, with a new logo unveiled.
The logo – a stylised 'C', is a significant change from the previous knight symbol.
"The Tohu (symbol) is shaped by our natural landscape which stretches from the top of the Southern Alps to the depths of our moana," said Crusaders CEO Colin Mansbridge.
"Taking the form of the letter 'C' but expressed in a way that is unique to us. It nods to our legacy while moving us forward."
Was there any tangata whenua input into the Crusaders logo? How can you keep a colonialist name and adopt indigenous design motifs? I’d love to think there was some thought behind this but can’t see where.
So good to see the Crusaders paying tribute to New Zealand’s rich history of political protest with their new logo, a mirrored image of the item thrown at Steven Joyce pic.twitter.com/CyBp4QXhlm
Not a fan of the new Crusaders logo at all I personally didn’t see the point of changing 1 of the most iconic rugby logos to this they should of keep the original logo without a question (left old logo vs right for new) #Crusaderspic.twitter.com/iBOrev1Ilr
It appears that by trying to please as many people as possible, the Crusaders have managed to alienate everyone. Based on social media, there are considerably more detractors of the new logo than there are supporters.
The new logo will be used for marketing and as much as is practically possible for the upcoming season, but it's unclear whether it will be used on this year's jerseys, which are set to be unveiled in the coming days.
The 2020 Super Rugby season will kick off at the end of January with the Crusaders playing their first match on February 1st.
