Andy Muirhead thought the opportunity to wear the ACT Brumbies' Indigenous jersey had passed him by when the Super Rugby season was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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No more footy meant no Indigenous round, a special week on Muirhead's Super Rugby calendar.
The 27-year-old winger is a proud Indigenous man and was looking forward to showcasing his heritage in the Brumbies' last home match of the regular season.
So the return of Super Rugby AU means more to Muirhead than most. Not only is it a chance to do what he loves and play footy, but also wear the heritage strip with pride.
The Brumbies will wear the Indigenous jersey, designed by Ngunnawal man Budda Connors, during their round-six clash with the Queensland Reds at Canberra Stadium on Saturday, August 1.
"During lockdown we thought it wasn't going to happen, so it's a nice surprise to see it's back on the agenda and we get to wear it," Muirhead said.
"I'm really excited, we've seen it before in our warm-up jerseys but now get to wear it in a game. Hopefully our loyal spectators get around it and enjoy it as much as us players love wearing it.
"Being Indigenous myself it's pretty special. Hopefully I get the opportunity to wear it on the field but I know the boys will be pretty happy wearing them and proud to represent myself and the Indigenous community.
"I'm always proud to showcase my Indigenous background and upbringing, so I'm happy it's going out there on the world stage and people will be able to see the nice designs my culture has to offer."
The design is based on the 2020 captain's run shirt, the third Indigenous strip the Brumbies have worn for their final training session before each game.
The front shows the hooves of wild brumbies coming down the Brindabellas, which then morph into the footprints of the 10 Indigenous men who have played for the club.
The players are represented by 'U' shapes and placed around the central meeting point.
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The Brumbies also unveiled their first retro jersey design on Monday morning, which celebrates the 25th anniversary of the club's inauguration.
The retro jersey features the club's original logo and also has an traditional collar. Names of the 36 players in the Brumbies' inaugural squad and coach Rod Macqueen are listed on the back of the supporter's version.
"It's nice. That jersey goes back a fair distance to 1996, it's a nice opportunity to wear that style," Muirhead said.
"I haven't worn a collar in a long time so it'll be pretty interesting and hopefully won't be as baggy as they were back in the day, but we'll be right."
But first the Brumbies will narrow their focus to the Western Force, who they'll meet for the first time since March 2017 at Leichhardt Oval on Saturday.
The Force has lost their first two Super Rugby AU matches but Brumbies hooker Folau Fainga'a won't take them lightly and is wary of a round-four bounce back.
"You don't prepare well for a team like that and they will sting you really early in games," Fainga'a said.
"I wouldn't be expecting anything less from them as well. They've got a point to prove and they're going to bring a spark."
SUPER RUGBY AU ROUND FOUR
Saturday: Western Force v ACT Brumbies at Leichhardt Oval, 7.15pm.
Lucie Bertoldo
Lucie Bertoldo is a sports reporter for the Canberra Times.
Lucie Bertoldo is a sports reporter for the Canberra Times.
