All Blacks of the Coast: How Griffith Uni Colleges Knights rebrand sparked Gold Coast Rugby’s greatest dynasty
Since reversing the club’s original colours 10 years ago, Griffith Uni Colleges Knights have transformed into Gold Coast rugby’s answer to the All Blacks - and the numbers have the proof.
Local Rugby
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Since abandoning the club’s original green-and-gold colours for a black (and red) jersey 10 years ago, Griffith Uni Colleges Knights have transformed into Gold Coast rugby’s answer to the New Zealand All Blacks - and the numbers have the proof.
It was a decade ago this week that the club’s bold call to reverse its traditional colours for the jersey it wears today first paid dividends, with a 45-24 win over Nerang in the opening round of the 2015 season.
That win was the first of 134 from 170 games over the next 10 years, yielding a winning percentage of 79 per cent.
In that same span the All Blacks have won a near-identical 82 per cent.
Club president Phil Verheijen was in charge when Colleges farewelled 30 years of history to embark on the rebrand which has triggered an unmatched era of success.
“It was a big call but it was the right one, in hindsight,” Verheijen said.
“When we were started by the College of Advanced Education (CAE) nearly 40 years ago its local colours were green and gold. A year or two later Griffith Uni bought the CAE but we had already started, so we stayed with the name Colleges.
“Over the years, with Griffith University being red and us being green, it lost its meaning a little with the locals because no-one remembered what the CAE was.
“Our constitution said we were started by them to be their rugby club. Griffith came to us and said we’d love to see you as our No.1 external club and wear our colours.”
Kit manufacturer Canterbury and the university’s marketing team designed the new strip which the club has worn in nine successive grand finals - a record not even the All Blacks can match.
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