Imagine stepping off the rugby field, not in the pristine white kit you started with, but looking like you've been in a paintball fight. That's exactly what happened to Cobus Reinach and his Springboks teammates after their recent clash against France at Stade de France, where they emerged victorious with a 32-17 scoreline. The culprit? Inferior quality pitch paint applied too liberally by a British company, leaving players looking more green than white.
The drama unfolded as the South African squad, donned in their alternate white jerseys, found themselves gradually turning green. The British firm Amayse, tasked with the pitch's logo applications, used a heavy-handed approach with subpar Australian paints, causing noticeable smudging on the players' attire. Jean-Michel Larroque, CEO of Trace Sports, the French company usually in charge of such tasks, pinpointed the problem.
"They paint with spray guns, we paint by hand,"
he explained to L'Equipe, highlighting a crucial difference in technique and outcome between the two companies.
The situation was aggravated by last-minute touch-ups by Amayse, applied just hours before the game, on a pitch still damp from the morning's dew. This not only challenged the players' appearance but also raised concerns about the upcoming games, particularly when France hosts Fiji in Bordeaux, known for its less ideal pitch conditions.
Larroque expressed concerns about future matches,
"In Bordeaux, the pitch is much less lush, with less dense grass and a lot of dirt, which we’ll be painting over,"
he noted, foreseeing potential repeat scenarios if the application method doesn't change.
As the Springboks gear up for their upcoming game in Turin against Italy, all eyes will not just be on their performance but also on their kits. One can only hope that the kit manager has a trick up their sleeve to tackle any unwelcome green hues that might make an encore appearance.
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Imagine stepping off the rugby field, not in the pristine white kit you started with, but looking like you've been in a paintball fight. That's exactly what happened to Cobus Reinach and his Springboks teammates after their recent clash against France at Stade de France, where they emerged victorious with a 32-17 scoreline. The culprit? Inferior quality pitch paint applied too liberally by a British company, leaving players looking more green than white.
The drama unfolded as the South African squad, donned in their alternate white jerseys, found themselves gradually turning green. The British firm Amayse, tasked with the pitch's logo applications, used a heavy-handed approach with subpar Australian paints, causing noticeable smudging on the players' attire. Jean-Michel Larroque, CEO of Trace Sports, the French company usually in charge of such tasks, pinpointed the problem.
"They paint with spray guns, we paint by hand,"
he explained to L'Equipe, highlighting a crucial difference in technique and outcome between the two companies.The situation was aggravated by last-minute touch-ups by Amayse, applied just hours before the game, on a pitch still damp from the morning's dew. This not only challenged the players' appearance but also raised concerns about the upcoming games, particularly when France hosts Fiji in Bordeaux, known for its less ideal pitch conditions.
Larroque expressed concerns about future matches,
"In Bordeaux, the pitch is much less lush, with less dense grass and a lot of dirt, which we’ll be painting over,"
he noted, foreseeing potential repeat scenarios if the application method doesn't change.As the Springboks gear up for their upcoming game in Turin against Italy, all eyes will not just be on their performance but also on their kits. One can only hope that the kit manager has a trick up their sleeve to tackle any unwelcome green hues that might make an encore appearance.