The Wellington Phoenix have released a new-look kit for the upcoming 2020/21 A-League season, which pays homage to the club’s New Zealand origins.
Designed by Paladin Sports, The home kit features the traditional Phoenix yellow and black colours, with a distinctive double stripe running down the front of the jersey.
The pattern captured inside these stripes includes the topographical map detail of Wellington’s iconic Mount Victoria, a location which holds a special place in the team’s heart.
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Legend has it that Wellington Harbour, originally a land-locked lake, was home to two large and very active taniwha (sea monsters in Māori mythology), who both longed for the deeper ocean. One taniwha forced a passage to the open sea, creating an entrance to the harbour.
The other, named Whataitai, tried a different route, became stranded and eventually died – transforming into a phoenix-like bird, Te Keo, that flew to the closest mountain, Matairangu (Mount Victoria). It is believed that Tangi Te Keo (the original Māori name for Mt Victoria) was named after the soul of Whataitai.
The 2020/21 Wellington Phoenix home jersey pays homage to this special moment, with the yellow kit symbolising both the rising sun the team watched from the top of Mount Victoria and the presence of Whataitai at this scared location. The double black columns on the front of the jersey incorporate the topographical map of Mount Victoria in its design, reflecting the team’s deep connection to Wellington and Aotearoa.
