Iconic rugby league club selling Wally Lewis-era style merchandise to get through COVID-19
Brisbane’s oldest rugby league team is banking on its rich history to get through the coronavirus pandemic. And it’s paid off, with sales of one iconic T-shirt proving so popular they’re considering relaunching it.
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Brisbane’s oldest rugby league team is banking on its history to survive the coronavirus pandemic.
And a re-creation of the iconic Valleys Diehards jersey made famous by Wally Lewis has helped the club sell thousands of pieces of merchandise this year.
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Valleys folded between the end of the Brisbane Rugby League and the foundation of the Queensland Cup, and apart from a single season in the state league as a joint venture with fellow historic outcast Brothers, remains in the lower divisions.
But that has not stopped the team from using its rich history to help get through the coronavirus downturn.
The club has started selling limited edition Valleys merchandise, including a polo based on their iconic jerseys from the 70s and early 80s.
Valleys CEO Danny Walker said since the club was reborn as part of the Brisbane A Grade competition there had been interest in merchandise.
The club turned to their jersey manufacturer Emu Sportswear to design and manufacture the iconic jersey.
“We decided against making it a jersey because they would have cost about $120, which just puts it out of the price range of so many.”
Instead the Emu turned the jersey into a polo shirt and released a “Forever Diehards” T-shirt with Valleys gladiator logo front and centre.
“There’s been a real interest in the heritage of our club. I’d say every couple of weeks I get a supporter contacting me asking about replica Valleys with the AVCO logo on them,” he said.
“That’s the jersey people see when they see pictures of Wally playing for Valleys.”
The T-shirt proved so popular Mr Walker said the club may relaunch it next year.
Emu also released a “Forever Seagulls” T-shirt for Wally Lewis’s other BRL team, Wynnum-Manly.
Mr Walker said the club had sold about 20,000 pieces of merchandise to help them through the pandemic.