Workshop 2017 Rugby League World Cup by Rabbitoh21

[rabbitoh21]

Oh look, a Rabbitohs fan making a portfolio of rugby league designs. Who'd have thought?

If I were to magically acquire the rights to design the logo and jerseys of all teams (even ones that don't qualify), this is what the 2017 RLWC would look like.

First off, the tournament logo.


No really significant change from the 2008 and 2013 logos. The only real change is the reverting to the 2008 "swirl", recoloured to represent the 3 countries which will be hosting games: Australia (green and gold), New Zealand (black) and Papua New Guinea (red, black, gold). The colour of the cup has been changed to silver (its real colour), and the background changed to the navy of the Rugby League International Federation (RLIF). The RLWC text has been moved to above the cup logo (and balanced so that Rugby League is more prominent), whilst the host nation text has been changed to a new font (the Esphimere family) and enlarged above the RLWC wordmark. The use of the shield necessitated the logo to be under the text, and helps it integrate into the jerseys better. Use of a blue background also removes the possibility of it becoming lost on the jerseys' designs. The Holden sponsorship is purely an assumption, and demonstrates a simple way for a sponsor to be integrated into the RLWC logo unobtrusively.

As companions to this main logo, the following will be present on select nations' sleeves: The RLWC Reigning Champions patch, and the RLWC Past Winner patch.

The RLWC Reigning Champions patch will be worn by Australia. It features a laser etched, semi-holographic gold design that would need to be heat pressed onto jerseys, and recognises the Kangaroos' success in the 2013 RLWC in England. It features the logo of the 2017 RLWC, but features the "2013 Champions" text to recognise their defence of the Cup in 2017.



The RLWC Past Winner patch will be displayed only by New Zealand (1) and Australia (10), who have won previous Rugby League World Cups. As England are considered a separate side from the Great Britain rugby league side (who won 3 RLWCs), they will not be given the right to display the Past Winner patch. The Past Winner patch is a laser etched, semi-holographic navy blue design that would also need to be heat pressed onto jerseys, and recognises past RLWC successes for nations that have previously won the tournament. The patch features the RLWC logo, with the number of successes displayed in negative-space inside the Cup, and also features the RLIF logo below the plinth of the cup.



All the logos feature the same basic shape as the main RLWC logo.

It's also worth mentioning that on my RLWC jerseys, NO SPONSORSHIPS will be allowed. This is in line with the FIFA and World Rugby equivalent tournaments, as well as the Cricket World Cup. This would not be ideal in the real world tournament (as many teams would depend on such sponsorships for funding), but in my ideal 2017 tournament, there would be no need and no place for sponsorships.

Teams' jerseys to follow. For the sake of simplicity I will be pulling a Dylan and omitting socks, as well as ignoring shorts. Not much to do in rugby league, but I will mention what each jersey would be worn with.

 

[rabbitoh21]

First up, the reigning World Cup Champions, AUSTRALIA!

The Kangaroos logo is fine so I found no reason to create a new logo for them, and the primary jersey only sees a few subtle changes.


The 2017 Kangaroos RLWC jersey is one of the most decorated kits in national team history. Featuring both the Reigning Champions patch and the Past Winners patch, the sleeves proudly display Australia's dominance in the world of rugby league.

The main difference in my design is the placement of the national coat of arms. In real life, the coat of arms has traditionally been placed on the heart, with the Kangaroos logo on the opposite side of the chest. In this design, the logo takes precedence on the chest, with the CoA moved to the chest. The CoA would only be displayed on player jerseys, and means that retail jerseys will not feature a fake CoA. I also returned to deeper chevrons which wrap over the shoulder, purely as a stylistic decision. This also means that the CoA can sit on the apex of the first chevron. Nothing too drastic here for a jersey which speaks for itself. Worn with green shorts and the traditional green-and-gold hooped socks.

The alternate jersey may need to be worn in case of a match against South Africa, Ireland, the Cook Islands, etc.



Rather than a direct inverse of the main Kangaroos jersey, I have opted to snippet the gold chevrons on a green yoke onto a white base. The inverse jersey has become symbolic of the alternate teams that the ARL(C) organises, whilst the Kangaroos are known as one of the only national sides who refuse the predominantly-gold standard of most other Australian sides. The white would also make this a good memorabilia piece, easy to autograph and also suitable for hot weather in the Australian summer, as well as make it attractive as casual wear. It could also be assumed that this jersey could be worn as a training jersey, a la the Wallabies' white alternate. To be worn with white shorts and the traditional green-and-gold hooped socks.

 

[rabbitoh21]

Next up, the 2008 Champions, NEW ZEALAND!

Again, the Kiwis logo is fine, and has only been vectorised for use. No real changes except potentially minute reshaping of the shield.



In recent years the Kiwi's uneven chevrons have been resized, reshaped and restyled a few times. The 2008 RLWC winning Kiwis wore a shallow, low version, whilst recent BLK efforts have seen chevron which go to the belly-button of even the biggest props. However, New Zealand's rugby football teams have been known for their "Black"-ness for many years, their inaugural touring team known as the "professional All Blacks" for their completely black garb (the team were known as the All Golds in a negative sense for their paid-to-play status). My version of the Kiwis' jersey is very much one of the most black in recent use. The use of a thin pair of chevrons also harks back to their 2005 Tri-Nations success, and also reduces the resemblance to the Western Suburbs kit. The use of black collar and cuffs, as well as (not pictured) black shorts and socks will give the Kiwis a deservedly intimidatory presence on the field. The Past Winner patch also features on the sleeve in honour of New Zealand's 2008 RLWC victory.

The alternate jersey would be worn in the case of particularly hot weather or clash with dark teams such as Scotland.



Once again, a white based alternate is used with a "snippet" of the dark home design. This is my preferred style of alternate design (see my old NRL-AFL crossover). The alternate features a shallow chevron design, thicker than the home but much higher up the body, in reference to the 2008 RLWC kit (albeit not as low). A literal silver fern is watermarked across the bottom of the jersey, to enhance the jerseys attractiveness in a casual sense. The cuffs and collar remain black, whilst the Kiwis' badge is inverted to match the predominantly white nature of the jersey.

 

[Bryce_Jersey17]

Two questions, rabbitoh21.
Firstly, would the other sides wear the RLWC logo on the sleeve in the same way as Australia has their gold one?

And two, what logo would be worn on the shorts? The "league" logo, or the past championships logo? If the former, does that not mean Australia could potentially have 5 different logos on their kit at the same time? (Gold, championships, CoA, Kangaroos and the league logo) and NZ would have four?

 

[rabbitoh21]

Two questions, rabbitoh21.
Firstly, would the other sides wear the RLWC logo on the sleeve in the same way as Australia has their gold one?

And two, what logo would be worn on the shorts? The "league" logo, or the past championships logo? If the former, does that not mean Australia could potentially have 5 different logos on their kit at the same time? (Gold, championships, CoA, Kangaroos and the league logo) and NZ would have four?

RLWC logo is worn in typical league position (right breast). Patches on sleeve only to be worn by teams with right to wear them (Aus and NZ). No requirement for logos on shorts, except NO SPONSORSHIPS. Teams are free to put their flag, logo, etc. on shorts and socks. Yes, Kangaroos could have all those on their kit, and NZ would only have 3 (logo, RLWC and past winner)

 

[rabbitoh21]

Next up is the nation that brought about the code of rugby league football, ENGLAND!



Seeing as I couldn't find a vector of the current logo, it was just as easy for me to design a new logo. I decided to keep the same shape as the real logo, but with a new design. First off, this logo was definitely inspired by GAZF's redesign here, primarily in the use of the Tudor rose. The Tudor rose combines the roses of the Houses of York and Lancaster. Lancashire and Yorkshire clubs formerly contested a "War of the Roses", between clubs from two rugby league heartlands in England. For this reason, as well as the symbolism that the Tudor rose has for England as a whole, I made this the primary element apart from St. George's Cross on the shield. I also used Gill Sans as the font, in honour of its prominence in the perception of British typography (see the London Underground, whose typeface was partially created by Eric Gill as an apprentice). The football logo of the RFL is also featured in the peak of the shield. (Tudor rose was modified from a version on Wikimedia Commons)



As for the jerseys, there's not much that seems to be done for England except a St. George's Cross design. So I put a little twist on it. The gradient cross spreads from the shield (again inspired by GAZF but featured on my old South Melbourne football kit from many years ago), and is surrounded by two more crosses which then form stripes across the sleeve. Red accents reinforce "England" identity, rather than GB or UK. The temptation to use navy on this kit and the alternate was quite high, but ultimately needed to be avoid to reduce already confusing sense of England is Great Britain RL identity.

The alternate would be worn against lighter teams if there was a clash, such as Fiji or Malta.


The alternate also features St. George's cross, outlined by thin strips of white. The aim of this jersey is purely to eliminate clashes against white based teams, whilst also providing the standard red alternative for those who prefer it. Personally I actually prefer this to the primary, but I feel the primary works better with the logo than this jersey.

I don't think these jerseys are too adventurous, but I do feel that they strongly identify as English, which is the aim of wearing a uniform.

Will be following these 3 kits up shortly, with the other British and Irish sides, as well as pacific nations and my personal prediction for World Champions in 2017, Lebanon!

 

[alex 3549]

Good idea!

I think I will expand my current portfolio to include Origin and Aus, NZ, ENG jerseys.

 

[Freight Train]

These are all amazing so far! Especially loving the England designs, they look top notch.

 

[chibimatty]

Excellent re-design of the England badge.

I actually thought you may go for the maroon and sky blue butcher stripes for the Aussie alternate.

 

[rabbitoh21]

Excellent re-design of the England badge.

I actually thought you may go for the maroon and sky blue butcher stripes for the Aussie alternate.

I'll probably do a heritage for each side, but the sky blue and maroon is best kept as a once-off once-in-a-while IMO

 

[rabbitoh21]

Now for the third host nation, and one of the most exciting sides in rugby league, PAPUA NEW GUINEA!



I've opted to redesign the Kumuls' badge, under the premise that they'd be offered a new logo similar to the RLWC badge, in order to promote the event. This makes the kumul the focal point of the badge, reinforced by the large wordmark. This badge, like the current PNG RFL badge, is based off of the flag, using the same kumul and constellation design, and also maintains the yellow stars (rather than the white of the flag) on the current RFL badge. The updated badge cleans up and modernises the current PNG logo, and also serves as the basis of the alternate jersey.



The primary jersey serves as a reflection of the past. The Kumuls have used several chevron based designs in their history. This jersey is a throwback to the 1970s and 1980s, where PNG wore a gold jersey with either a single red chevron, or a thick red chevron divided by a thin black chevron. The collar and cuffs are black to match those jerseys. The only difference is the addition of the red gradient at the bottom of the jersey, to match the red shorts (also a throwback) that would be worn with this jersey. This jersey would work best with red, yellow and black striped socks.

The alternate would be worn against lighter teams in case of a clash, such as Fiji or England.


Like the England home kit, the alternate jersey for PNG is dictated by the badge. The design is centred around the diagonally divided flag of PNG (i.e. bend), and is predominantly black to increase the contrast when compared to the primary jersey. It also features an outlined Southern Cross on the stomach, mostly to fill out otherwise empty space. The left sleeve is coloured red to extend the design and provide more colour on the jersey.

 

[Jones2ByrneJones]

Solid work so far. Simple and classy, can't go wrong.

While we're here, though, I do have a question. How often are gradients seen in international rugby league?

Also will you be implementing more gradients into your portfolio?

 

[rabbitoh21]

Solid work so far. Simple and classy, can't go wrong.

While we're here, though, I do have a question. How often are gradients seen in international rugby league?

Also will you be implementing more gradients into your portfolio?

Gradients have been used in international jerseys, but not very often. I will be implementing them if I feel the jersey will benefit from them.

 

[rabbitoh21]

Introducing the jerseys and new badge of the 2017 Rugby League World Cup Champions (should they qualify), LEBANON!


The new Lebanon RL badge is one of boldness, strength and simplicity. Lebanon's rugby league scene has changed immensely since a bunch of ex-pats in Sydney created a "Lebanese" rugby league representative side. Finally, the Lebanon Rugby League Federation is actually based in Lebanon (imagine that), there's a league in Lebanon and the Cedars play games in Lebanon and in Australia. To reflect this new era, the badge has been overhauled and simplified. The words "Lebanon" and "Cedars" are big, bold and proud on the crest. The cedar tree has always been a symbol of strength, resilience, and as such is a proud icon of Lebanese identity. That's why the Cedar is the focus of the crest. The foundation year of 1995 features at the base of the cedar, which is large and central, symbolising the growth of rugby league in Lebanon since its foundation. The cedar also features a stroke to emphasise its presence. The badge is also based off of the Lebanese coat of arms, hence why the fess background is rotated.


I call this jersey "In the shadow of the Cedar". Rather than recycle one of the (many) chevron based designs, I wanted to simplify the jersey and make the red and white on the jersey stand out. I've also introduced gold into the colourway, from the national colours, to the traditional green, red and white. Use of a flat yoke with white stripe mimics the fess on the national flag, and provides a nice contrast to the light green base. The point of the simple blocks of colour is to make a strong and identifiable jersey design, rather than something particularly flashy or "attractive" (like the old JJ Snacks "camo" jerseys). The red yoke also reduces clashes with other green teams; whilst not completely eliminating clashes with green teams, it does provide a nice point of difference to teams like Ireland and Australia. There is also a hidden cedar on the stomach, only visible because of the shadows under it, as well as a modified version of the Lebanese flag under the number, which fades out before the seams down the rib. The emphasis placed on the cedar and other national symbols aims to reflect the new era of truly Lebanese rugby league.

The alternate jersey would be worn against teams such as Australia, Ireland and South Africa, who wear predominantly green jerseys. It could be used by the Liban Espoir (i.e. aspiring Lebanon) team, who traditionally wear a red and white jersey.



It's no surprise that the Lebanon rugby league has an intrinsic connection to the Canterbury-Bankstown NRL club, as well as the Bankstown and Canterbury council areas. Previous Lebanon jerseys have featured similar designs to the Bulldogs, and this is no exception. The main design is based off of the circa-1980 design worn by the Bulldogs until 1996. The use of gold continues on this design, and provides a modern alternative look similar to the soccer and basketball teams who also use red and white as base colours. The chevrons are truncated to provide a rugby league aesthetic and could provide for sponsorship post-RLWC. Overall, I'd be proud to wear either of these kits, and I like the way the alternate provides a break from the status quo of Lebanon jerseys.

 

[chibimatty]

Your redesigns of the team badges are excellent. Should send them to their respective RL associations, especially the PNG and Lebanon ones.

 

[rabbitoh21]

Your redesigns of the team badges are excellent. Should send them to their respective RL associations, especially the PNG and Lebanon ones.

Cheers mate. After I get home I'll probably tackle another Euro side. I'm quite enjoying the badge designing process. Not looking forward to countries with intricate stuff like Fiji and Samoa though

 

[rabbitoh21]

I haven't forgotten about this, even if it has been 6 months. I got my P's the day of the last post I made here so that's why it sort of got forgotten.

 

[rabbitoh21]

I will be uploading more stuff in the coming weeks. Here's a teaser of the badge I made for the Irish (who have yet to qualify but I digress)



The badge is obviously inspired by the IRFU. The reason for this is simple: both are organisations who run rugby football for the entire island of Ireland. My badge contains four shamrocks which have a common root, representing the four provinces of Ireland (Ulster, comprising for the most part "Northern Ireland", part of the UK, and Leinster, Munster and Connacht, who are part of the sovereign Republic of Ireland). The formation of the shamrocks roughly corresponds to the layout of the provinces. Behind the shamrocks is an abstract rugby league football, with the initialism of Rugby League Ireland bold and to the top left of the shamrocks. The shade of green used is deliberately dark so as not to evoke the Republic's flag, but still strongly and obviously represent the whole of Ireland.

 

[chibimatty]

Another excellent logo design

 

[Skem pie eater]

Just come across this thread, some really good designs. Just wondering if you are going to do a South Africa kit and logo, i know the Rhinos did not qualify but it would be nice to see a "What if" South Africa.

Keep up the good work and much appreciation.

Jeff

 

[Klim]

Just come across this thread, some really good designs. Just wondering if you are going to do a South Africa kit and logo, i know the Rhinos did not qualify but it would be nice to see a "What if" South Africa.

Keep up the good work and much appreciation.

Jeff

Well I'll be is this old mate Jeff that supported Wigan?

 

[Skem pie eater]

It is mucka

 

[chibimatty]

 

[chibimatty]

I know he's a southerner, Jeff.

 

[Skem pie eater]

I did live in Kent for a number of years but deffo a Northener , to some people i have a cockney twang in my accent :-0