An English company has been blamed for the Springboks’ white kits being stained green during the match against France at the Stade de France last weekend.
The South African rugby team opted to wear their away kits due to a dark colour clash with the opposition’s home kit.
The Boks beat Les Bleus 32-17.
ENGLAND FINGERED OVER SPRINGBOKS’ ACCIDENTAL GREEN KITS
On Saturday, 8 November, the Springboks faced off against France for the first time since the 2023 Rugby World Cup quarter-final.
Rugby fans watched as the South African team skidded and slid across the freshly painted pitch, staining their white away kits bright green.
In the end, the Boks were smeared from head to toe in grass-green paint, spurring memes on social media.
Images via X
According to French publication L’Equipe, an English company, Amayse, was to blame for painting advertiser and sponsor logos onto the grounds just hours before kick-off.
The company manually spray-painted layers of “lower-grade paint” over a wet pitch, with several touch-ups being done throughout the day.
Jean-Michel Larroque, CEO of Trace Sports, a lawn painting company, predicts the same could occur this weekend when France plays Fiji in Bordeaux.
WHAT COLOUR WILL THEY WEAR NEXT?
The Springboks will play three more countries during their end-of-year tour: Italy, Wales, and Ireland.
According to reports, the Boks may be forced to wear white again when playing against Italy, who, like France, sport a dark blue kit. The Irish also wear green, like South Africa’s home kit, albeit in a different shade.
Wales sports a darker red, which could also have a dark colour clash.
