Harlequins’ annual Big Game has become one of the biggest events of the festive rugby calendar – after all, there aren’t too many domestic rugby fixtures that will see 70,000 punters in attendance at any time of year – and the 2016 version will no doubt be another good day out for all.
A big part of the Big Game tradition is of course, the home side wearing their special one-off charity jersey for the occasion, and this year is no exception with Adidas once again offering us a sleek dark twist on the Quins recipe.
For this year’s take on the Quins formula sees Adidas has created an ‘expanding diamond’ graphic – a very futuristic spin on the diamond pattern of the traditional harlequin pattern – accented in the traditional club colour palette.
However, this is no ordinary year for Quins. 2016 is the club’s 150th anniversary – a fact that has been very evident in their shirts this season, and the Big Game shirt is no exception.
You see, the coloured pinstripes that accent the diamond pattern aren’t just representing the club’s colours – a closer look sees that this shirt is tipping its hat to the 150th anniversary by featuring the names of all the Harlequins club captains over the last 150 years. We also get a special chrome version of the sesquicentennial club crest, too.
Once again this year’s Big Game is raising funds for Great Ormond Street Hospital, and a fiver from every shirt sold will go to the hospital’s charity. That in itself is a good reason for Quins fans to pick one up – but the fact that it’s actually a very cool shirt doesn’t hurt either!
Rugby Shirt Watch 