New look crest planned for Northampton Saints
The Chief Exec of the rugby club says even the biggest fans can't recall the logo of their side.
Northampton Saints rugby crest is set to change later this year. The club say it's after consulting with fans, which found even the most dedicated ones couldn't accurately recall it.
A Supporter Survey gained 1,611 survey responses, with 99% saying that a memorable easily-recognised visual identity is important. Not many could recall it though.
75% of those who responded said the Black, Green and Gold colours were the most important part of Saints overall identity, which the current crest doesn't include.
The Saints’ Chief Executive Mark Darbon says a clear visual identity will future proof the club. With a recent study into Brand Recognition, finding less than one in three people can name a Premiership club, and for Gen Z Rugby Union doesn't feature in their top 20 sports.
Mark Darbon says: "while the current crest of course has heritage through use (it has been stitched on our playing kit since 1984), when it was designed in the 1950s by a group of students at Northampton Technical College as an adaptation of the Town’s coat of arms, it was done so without any reference to the unique history of the Club itself."
He adds in a statement that while the crest is the only one many fans will have known, they'll consulted with Saints’ Club Historian, Graham McKechnie, and with the Foundation’s Heritage team, in the new design.
The club say the new crest will be revealed in the summer.