New beginnings, a new home and now a new team for Canterbury, with the domestic Twenty20 side formerly known as the “Wizards” to be re-branded as the “Kings” – complete with a royal makeover of purple and gold uniforms.
Story via canterburycricket.co.nz
At the same time, the names of the Major Association’s first-class and one-day teams will be re-emphasised and re-badged as “Canterbury” – to recognise the traditional roots and importance of those sides.
Canterbury Cricket Association chief executive Lee Germon says the repackaging exercise was designed to recognise the vast difference between the more commercially-oriented Twenty20 competition, and the established traditions of the first-class and one-day teams.
“We believe it’s the perfect time to rebrand and re-position our T20 side to make the best possible use of current commercial opportunities,” said Germon.
“We are making a clear distinction between our T20 side, and our Plunket Shield and Ford Trophy teams, both of which will drop the “Wizards” moniker, revert to the traditional name of “Canterbury”, and receive a newly-designed coat of arms.”
Germon said the makeover of Canterbury’s Twenty20 side mimics developments in Australia’s Big Bash competition, where all participating teams have names and colours different to that of their state outfits.
The name Kings was chosen for two reasons: 1) it represented the strength and resilience of the Canterbury region and people, and 2) it embodied the attributes the team wants to be known for: power, dominance and courage.
As for the colours, purple and gold were connected to royalty and nobility; were popular with the younger generation and were distinct from the “red and black” marketed throughout the region.
“One of the problems we have in Canterbury is that the market is saturated with red and black brands, some of them with far greater resources than we have”, said Germon. “It’s a difficult environment in which to gain traction.
“Switching to completely different colours offers us opportunities to stand out and be recognised, and with that, the chance to grow our product.”
