90s Rugby Culture

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11/07/2026

Game of the Week - Australia v France 1990

Ballymore, Brisbane.

Sometimes the scoreboard tells one story, while one moment tells another.

Australia won a remarkable Test 48–31, but Serge Blanco still produced the piece of rugby everyone remembers.

France were pinned virtually on their own try line.

Most full-backs would have kicked.

Blanco saw space.

He accelerated through the first gap, glided past defenders and carried the attack almost the full length of the field.

Nearly 100 metres of instinct, balance and pure attacking class.

It didn’t win France the match, but it became the defining image of the game.

That was Serge Blanco.

A full-back who could turn defence into attack in an instant and make the impossible look completely natural.

And the kits…

Australia in classic gold.

France in royal blue.

Two iconic shirts from a Test that produced 79 points and one unforgettable try.

90s rugby really did things differently.

Who remembers this one?

KIT WARS ⚔️ | Australia 🇦🇺 v France 🇫🇷With international rugby returning, we’re heading back to 1999 and two shirts from...
10/07/2026

KIT WARS ⚔️ | Australia 🇦🇺 v France 🇫🇷

With international rugby returning, we’re heading back to 1999 and two shirts from one of the most memorable World Cups of all time.

🟡 Australia wore this classic gold Reebok shirt during one of the greatest years in Wallabies history. Led by players such as John Eales, George Gregan, Stephen Larkham and Tim Horan, they went on to lift the World Cup and confirm themselves as the best side in the world.

🔵 France answer with their iconic Nike shirt from the same tournament. A clean, understated design forever associated with one of rugby’s greatest upsets, as Les Bleus produced that extraordinary semi-final comeback against New Zealand to reach the final.

One shirt was worn by the champions.

The other was part of one of the most unforgettable performances the game has ever seen.

Two nations. Two iconic 90s kits. One difficult decision.

Which one gets your vote?

👍 Australia
❤️ France

Artists of the 90s - Philippe Saint-André.Few players captured the imagination quite like him.Fast, intelligent and fear...
10/07/2026

Artists of the 90s - Philippe Saint-André.

Few players captured the imagination quite like him.

Fast, intelligent and fearless, Saint-André was one of the defining figures of French rugby in the 90s — a winger who could finish a move, create one, or turn a defensive situation into something extraordinary.

He became a star with Montferrand, earned 69 caps for France and later brought his class to Gloucester, where he became a hugely popular figure in the Cherry and White.

But two moments perhaps sum him up better than anything else.

Twickenham, 1991.

Starting deep inside their own half, France produced one of the greatest tries ever scored against England, with Saint-André finishing a breathtaking move involving Serge Blanco and Philippe Sella.

A try later celebrated as one of the finest Twickenham has ever seen.

Then came Auckland in 1994.

As France captain, Saint-André helped launch the counter-attack that became known as “The Try from the End of the World” — one of the most iconic passages of play in rugby history.

That was Saint-André.

Always willing to attack.

Always looking for space.

Always capable of producing something memorable.

And the shirts…

The blue of France.

The colours of Montferrand.

The famous Cherry and White hoops of Gloucester.

Three iconic jerseys worn by one of the great French wings of his generation.

90s rugby really did things differently.

Who remembers Philippe Saint-André at his best?

Kit Wars - New Zealand v France 1994Few rivalries captured the imagination of 90s rugby quite like New Zealand vs France...
04/07/2026

Kit Wars - New Zealand v France 1994

Few rivalries captured the imagination of 90s rugby quite like New Zealand vs France.

This week’s Kit Wars takes us back to 1994 with two absolute icons.

⚫ New Zealand – the classic Canterbury All Blacks jersey, complete with the famous Steinlager sponsor. Simple, timeless and worn by legends such as Sean Fitzpatrick, Zinzan Brooke and Jonah Lomu as a new era was about to begin.

🔵 France – the unmistakable Adidas shirt with the tricolour stripes running down the sleeves. A design that perfectly reflected French flair and a side packed with talent, just months before they stunned the rugby world with their famous victories in New Zealand during the 1994 tour.

One shirt represents ruthless consistency.
The other represents fearless flair.

Both are among the greatest international rugby shirts ever produced.

🏆 But which one gets your vote?

⚫ New Zealand 🇳🇿
🔵 France 🇫🇷

Artists of the 90s - Iestyn Harris.Some players beat defenders.Iestyn Harris embarrassed them.A devastating side-step.Li...
03/07/2026

Artists of the 90s - Iestyn Harris.

Some players beat defenders.

Iestyn Harris embarrassed them.

A devastating side-step.
Lightning acceleration.
And the vision to create something out of nothing.

He was one of those rare players who could change a game with a single touch of the ball.

Harris burst onto the scene with Warrington as a teenager before becoming one of rugby league’s biggest stars. His brilliance earned him Great Britain honours and, in 1998, the prestigious Man of Steel award as the game’s outstanding player.

He later captained Leeds Rhinos, won the 1999 Challenge Cup, and established himself as one of the defining players of the Super League era. Every time he got the ball, defenders knew they were in trouble.

His talent was impossible to ignore.

So much so that Welsh rugby union made him one of the sport’s biggest signings, tempting him across to Cardiff and Wales in 2001 in the hope he could inspire a new generation.

Whether it was rugby league or rugby union, Harris always played with imagination.

The confidence to take players on.

The vision to unlock a defence.

The ability to make the impossible look routine.

And the shirts…

Warrington’s distinctive green and white hoops of the early 90s. A bold departure from the club’s traditional primrose and blue, they became one of the most memorable kits of the decade.

Then came the iconic blue and amber of Leeds Rhinos.

Two unforgettable jerseys worn by one of the most gifted dual-code players of his generation.

The 90s did rugby differently.

26/06/2026

Game of the Week - Leeds v St Helens 1990

Headingley.

Some players could master one code.

John Bentley mastered two.

Before professionalism blurred the lines between rugby union and rugby league, Bentley had already proved he could excel in both, becoming one of the most exciting and versatile players of his generation.

This try shows exactly why.

Collecting the ball with plenty still to do, he changes direction in an instant, powers through the defence and then accelerates clear to finish in style.

Strong.

Direct.

Explosive.

Everything that made John Bentley such a special player.

Whether it was for Leeds, England, or later the British & Irish Lions, he always played with total commitment and an intensity that made him a fan favourite wherever he went.

90s rugby really did things differently

Kit Wars - Leeds v Hull KR.The Super League era was just beginning… and with it came a new wave of unforgettable rugby l...
26/06/2026

Kit Wars - Leeds v Hull KR.
The Super League era was just beginning… and with it came a new wave of unforgettable rugby league shirts.

This week’s Kit Wars takes us back to two mid-90s classics.

🟡🔵 Leeds (1995/96) – the club’s first season in the new Super League era. They hadn’t yet adopted the Rhinos name, but this bold Asics and Tetley’s Bitter shirt became one of the defining kits of the decade and marked the start of an incredibly successful period for the club.

🔵⚪ Hull KR (1994/95) – one of the most distinctive designs of the 90s. The icy blue pattern and iconic John Smith’s sponsor made this a real standout and it’s still fondly remembered by Rovers supporters today.

Two clubs with proud histories.
Two completely different design philosophies.
One winner.

🏆 Which shirt takes your vote?

🟡 Leeds (1995/96)
🔵 Hull KR (1994/95)

Artists of the 90s - Paul GraysonWith Northampton Saints celebrating another Premiership title, it feels like the perfec...
24/06/2026

Artists of the 90s - Paul Grayson

With Northampton Saints celebrating another Premiership title, it feels like the perfect time to look back at one of the greatest players to wear the black, green and gold.

Paul Grayson wasn’t the loudest player on the pitch.

He simply delivered when it mattered most.

A fly-half blessed with composure, accuracy and an incredible temperament, Grayson became the heartbeat of Northampton throughout one of the most successful periods in the club’s history.

His defining moments came during the 1999/2000 Heineken Cup campaign.

First, a nerveless last-minute penalty against Llanelli in a thrilling semi-final to send Saints to their first-ever European Cup Final.

Then, at Twickenham, another masterclass.

Three penalties.

All nine Northampton points.

A famous 9-8 victory over Munster to secure the biggest trophy in the club’s history.

When the pressure was at its greatest, Grayson never seemed to miss.

Across more than 250 appearances, he became Northampton’s all-time leading points scorer, earned England honours and later added a Rugby World Cup winner’s medal in 2003.

But for Saints supporters, he’ll always be remembered as the man whose boot delivered European glory.

And the shirt…

Those iconic black, green and gold hoops.

A classic kit worn by one of Northampton’s greatest ever players.

90s rugby really did things differently.

21/06/2026

Game of the Week - Lions v South Africa 97

With Northampton Saints crowned Premiership champions, it feels like the perfect time to look back at one of the club’s greatest ever players.

Matt Dawson.

The stage couldn’t have been any bigger.

Cape Town.
First Test.
The 1997 British & Irish Lions tour.

Facing the reigning world champion Springboks in one of the most eagerly anticipated Test series of the professional era.

Then came one of rugby’s most iconic moments.

Spotting the slightest gap, Dawson accelerated through before producing a dummy that completely wrong-footed the South African defence.

The result?

One of the greatest tries ever scored by a British & Irish Lion.

It wasn’t just the dummy that made it special.

It was the confidence to try it.
The vision to see it.
And the composure to pull it off on the biggest stage.

The Lions went on to win the Test 25-16 and, a few weeks later, completed one of the most famous series victories in their history.

And the shirts…

The classic red of the Lions.

The iconic green and gold of South Africa.

Two legendary jerseys.

One unforgettable rugby moment.

90s rugby really did things differently

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