Scotland invented the game of rugby sevens, but certainly in the modern era, they’ve not often played like it. But all that has changed in the last year or so, as the Scots have looked increasingly impressive in the short-form game, culminating in their sensational first ever tournament win in London this year.
On the back of such unprecedented success, then, what better time for the Scots to get some new shirts courtesy of Italian supplier, Macron – and you have to say these are some rather classy designs. Hang on, did Macron get the memo? This is sevens, where the mad shit lives! C’mon guys…
But there’s method to the madness, however. While this might not be as out-there as last years’ blue and pink number, there’s a real significance to the most striking element of the design – those gold and red pinstripes that cover the front and, oddly, the back quarter of the shirt.
The stripes are in fact a nod to the shirts Macron designed for Scotland to wear during the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow – a hugely popular design that was worn by the home team in front of a record crowd of 171,000 people – with the colours a nod to the Lion Rampant.
The alternate shirt echoes Macron’s red Scotland alternate shirt of 2014/15 – a design that didn’t go down too well with fans as we recall, but a very memorable and unconventional one nonetheless.
It swaps red stripes for blue ones, and also keeps the solid blue band around the middle behind the main sponsor. We think this actually works rather well – having the pinstripes flank a larger block of contrast colour makes the stripes feel more essential to the design, where they feel a touch isolated on the home.
Perhaps the most notable and potentially divisive element of both these jerseys, however, is the collar – or should that be the lack of one.
Ever since the very first Macron shirt Scotland produced, the company has won plaudits from fans and kit-watchers alike for their use of a modernised take on the classic rugby shirt collar. But not so here – instead we have an altogether more modern round-neck design and well… hmm…
It looks perfectly fine, of course – but we’ve become so used to Scotland shirts having the classy retro vibe that’s epitomised by that polo collar, it looks a bit weird without it – naked almost.
Whether this trend follows suit with the 15s jersey we’ll see in due course, and there’s nothing wrong with round-neck collars at all, but we imagine Scotland fans will miss them when they’re gone…
Buy the Scotland Sevens 2016 jerseys from World Rugby Shop
Rugby Shirt Watch 
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