Top design gets junior Warriors' nod

The U20 Warriors will next year be wearing the shirts designed by Waikato signwriter Daryl John. Photo / Supplied

A sign writer has turned fashion designer, winning a competition to dress the champion Junior Warriors rugby league side next season.

Daryl John won a competition organised by the team's sponsors, Vodafone, which attracted 3000 entries.

The Te Aroha 24-year-old's design is centred around a stylised silver fern.

"I stayed up to about 1 in the morning putting a few ideas together," John said.

"I just worked on keeping the design simple but effective; bold and recognisable and not too cluttered.

"When I heard I had actually won I was in lala-land for the rest of work, you couldn't take the grin off my face."

He also believes his design could "fit quite nicely on a flag" should New Zealand ever become a republic.

John's prize was a trip to Sydney last weekend to see the under-20 Warriors win the Toyota Cup with a 42-28 demolition of South Sydney.

Canterbury of New Zealand's Colin Gibson said: "Daryl's design is clear and speaks volumes about the club and the heritage of the players too."

To win one of three new Junior Warriors' jerseys, email or post your name, address and phone number to: Junior Warriors competition, editor@hos.co.nz or Herald on Sunday, PO Box 32, Auckland, by October 14. Winners' names in next week's edition. APN staff and their families can't enter.