From interesting ambigrams last year, to a cool digitized Barberton Daisy this year, Puma is certainly doing interesting things with the Vodacom Bulls kit. Last night Puma and the Vodacom Bulls launched the 2024/25 Forever Blue Home and Alternative kit, which draws on the team’s heritage but bringing in a modern retro twist.

True to tradition, the Vodacom Bulls light blue takes centre stage for the home shirt with white for the alternative strip. The new distinguishing design element is a digitised Barberton Daisy, with Puma noting the kit designers extracted the red daisy from the team crest and pixelated it to create an effect typical of 80s computer graphics. The digitised Daisy graphic is worked into the contour strips on either side of the jersey, creating an eye-catching, slick look.

The Forever Blue kit includes the following technical specifications:

Moisture management: The fabric wicks sweat away from the body to keep players dry and comfortable.

Durability: Rugby is a tough sport, so the jersey needs to withstand constant wear and tear. Reinforced stitching and high-quality, abrasion-resistant materials are used for extra strength and durability.

Flexibility and Stretch: The blend of poly and spandex provides a snug, comfortable fit that moves with the body. Due to the stretch fabric and a well-designed fit the jersey allow players to move freely and make tackles without restriction.

Improved Handling: The additional grip dot texture on the jersey can offer better control when the player secures the ball against their body. This helps to maintain possession during tackles or when making quick movements.

“It’s back to basics with the kit design, with blue being king and the only graphical element the Barberton Daisy in a retro-modern representation,” said Brett Bellinger, Marketing Director of PUMA South Africa. “The Daisy appears on the team’s crest and is synonymous with the Vodacom Bulls, so the kit design honours the team’s roots, history and tradition, while looking forward to future successes.”

Vodacom Bulls CEO Edgar Rathbone said: “Puma has once again outdone themselves by designing a kit that speaks to our brand essence. The new design elements, with a pixelated Daisy as the main feature, not only reflects our bold spirit but also showcases our heritage. We firmly believe that our players and fans will wear this new look with pride and passion.”

If you are looking for the new 2024/25 Vodacom Bulls Home and Alternative Replica kit, it will be in-store from 6 September 2024 and available from PUMA.com, Puma Retail Stores, Totalsports, and Sportsmans Warehouse at a recommended retail price of R999 (men), R899 (women) and R799 (kid sizes). There will be also a further selection of fanwear set to be in-store from 10 September 2024.

In case you missed it, the Vodacom Bulls also celebrated their 2024 BBCo Annual Awards evening last night, with the following awards:

Bulls Daisies

• Back of the Year: Jackie Cilliers
• Forward of the Year: Vainah Ubisi
• Players player of the Year: Patience Mokone

Investec Champions Cup

• Back of the Year: David Kriel
• Forward of the Year: Wilco Louw
• Players player of the Year: Kurt-Lee Arendse
• Player of the Year: Embrose Papier

Vodacom United Rugby Championship

• Back of the Year: Johan Goosen
• Forward of the Year: Elrigh Louw
• Players player of the Year: Cameron Hanekom
• Player of the Year: Kurt-Lee Arendse.